Meta Will Restore Trump’s Accounts
Over two years after the suspension, Meta announced that it would restore former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks.
According to Meta:
“As a general rule, we don’t want to get in the way of open, public and democratic debate on Meta’s platforms — especially in the context of elections in democratic societies like the United States. The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the bad and the ugly — so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box.”
In January 2021, Donald Trump’s account was suspended by Twitter after the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. The company cited the risk of further incitement of violence as the reason for the suspension. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat also suspended or banned his account for similar reasons.
Trump’s Twitter Account
Twitter has already reinstated Trump’s account in November 2022 after Elon posted a poll on Twitter asking the users if the former president’s account should be reinstated.
And the people had spoken. His account was restored. The poll results showed 51.8% in favor.
With millions of followers, Trump’s tweets often impacted the markets. They also set the news cycle.
Previously, Trump said he would stay on Truth Social, rather than rejoin Twitter. It’s one reason he has not tweeted yet even after Elon reinstated his account.
But this can change after he announced that he would be seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. If he’d win, he would be the second commander-in-chief to be elected to two non-consecutive terms.
Trump might seize this opportunity to return to Facebook and Instagram. But his reps have not commented yet on this matter.
But he said on Truth Social that he acknowledged Meta’s decision and added that this kind of thing must not happen again to a sitting President or anyone who doesn’t deserve retribution.
His team was not given notice of the decision. Many of his advisers only learned about the decision through media reports.
Before Meta announced the final decision, the company did ask Trump’s lawyers to talk about the possible reinstatement. However, his legal team wasn’t told about the final decision, according to CNN.
Trump preferred Twitter as a platform. However, he has more followers on Facebook and Instagram. Analysts considered his Facebook campaigns to be effective. He spent millions running ads on this platform.
However, the decision wasn’t met with enthusiasm. It was quickly admonished by various safety advocates and lawmakers.
They said that restoring his account would mean he could spread his lies again, which can be dangerous. Congressman Adam Schiff noted that Trump did not show any remorse for his involvement in the January 6 attack.
But some said that Meta’s decision was right. They said that social media platforms should err on the side of letting a range of political speech, even if it is offensive.
Despite the reinstatement, Trump’s accounts would still be suspended if he’d violate again the rules of Meta.
