Breaking: Trump's Facebook Ban Is Ending, But Nowhere Near Soon Enough
Facebook announced on Friday that former President Donald Trump will be suspended from its platform for two years.
The social media provider said it will look to “experts” to review whether Trump can be reinstated in January 2023.
“We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest,” Nick Clegg, Facebook’s vice president of global affairs, said in a statement.
“If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.
“When the suspension is eventually lifted, there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr. Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts,” Clegg added.
The announcement comes a month after Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the social media giant’s suspension of Trump.
The controversial move affirmed the company’s decision to remove Trump following the Jan. 6 incursion at the U.S. Capitol.
“Trump’s posts during the Capitol riot severely violated Facebook’s rules and encouraged and legitimized violence,” the board said.
The Board has upheld Facebook’s decision on January 7 to suspend then-President Trump from Facebook and Instagram. Trump’s posts during the Capitol riot severely violated Facebook’s rules and encouraged and legitimized violence. https://t.co/veRvWpeyCi
— Oversight Board (@OversightBoard) May 5, 2021
“Within six months of this decision, Facebook must re-examine the arbitrary penalty it imposed on January 7 and decide the appropriate penalty,” the board wrote.
“This penalty must be based on the gravity of the violation and the prospect of future harm. It must also be consistent with Facebook’s rules for severe violations, which must, in turn, be clear, necessary and proportionate.”
The board criticized Facebook for the indefinite nature of the Trump suspension.
“In applying a vague, standardless penalty and then referring this case to the Board to resolve, Facebook seeks to avoid its responsibilities,” it said.
The decision applied to both Facebook and Instagram. The former president had nearly 60 million followers across the two platforms, according to CNN.
Trump launched a new website in May that provided his running commentary in the style of the tweets that riveted Americans throughout his political campaign and presidency.
The blog abruptly ended less than one month later. Senior Trump aide Jason Miller confirmed the page “will not be returning.”
“It was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on,” Miller said via email to the outlet.
“Hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing,” Miller added.
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