Meta announced on Friday that it would remove limits on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, putting an end to sanctions imposed after his followers violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021.
According to the statement, “former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties.”
A day after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, his Facebook and Instagram accounts were indefinitely disabled after it was discovered he had praised those who participated in violent acts on social media.
His accounts were reopened in February 2023, but with the threat of sanctions for future violations, which Meta dropped on Friday.
“In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,”
It further clarified that US presidential hopefuls “remain subject to the same Community Standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence.”
In addition, Trump, the first former president to be found guilty of a crime was prohibited from using YouTube and Twitter.
Trump now mostly uses his own social media platform, Truth Social, for communication, even though those limitations were later eased last year.
His 34 million-strong Facebook profile includes remarks originally published on Truth Social, as well as rally invitations and campaign videos.
Final Thoughts
Meta’s clarification that Trump, like all users, will still be subject to the same Community Standards is significant.
It shows the company’s commitment to maintaining a standard against hate speech and incitement to violence, even as they allow him to use the platform again.
