Trump Appeals to Rejoin Facebook, Instagram Oversight Board After Suspension

Former President Donald Trump has filed a statement of appeal to the oversight board funded by Facebook in an appeal to rejoin the social media platform. The decision is slated to take an estimated two and a half months.

Trump Appeals to Rejoin Facebook Instagram

The decision on whether to let the former president back on the social media giants is slated for April. The board garnered nearly 10,000 comments from the public, which is by far the most it has received regarding a decision.

Trump has appealed directly to the "supreme court" of Facebook or the Oversight Board in an appeal to rejoin the social network. Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who is a co-head of the Oversight Board, which comprises 20 members, stated the panel was currently evaluating his case, reported Diaz Hub.

Facebook's content oversight board stated on Tuesday that it received a "user statement" in a highly watched case that involves its choice to indefinitely prohibit the former president from posting on his account due to concerns that he could incite violence again, similarly with the January 6 insurrection on Capitol Hill.

According to a spokesperson for the oversight board, "We can confirm that a user statement has been received in the case before the Oversight Board concerning President Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts. We will have no further comment concerning that statement until the Board has issued its decision," reported CNET.

Trump had uploaded a video to Facebook during the siege that appeared sympathetic to demonstrators and disseminated allegations of election fraud. He was suspended following the insurrection at the US Capitol.

Schmidt told presenter Jon Snow they would be assessing the appeal. According to Schmidt, "It's a very high profile case but that is exactly why the Oversight Board was created in the first place," reported Independent.

Trump was indefinitely suspended from Facebook and Instagram on January 7. He asserted in this speech that the presidential election was stolen from him. In January, the social media giant stated it was deferring the decision to permanently bar the former president from the platform to its seemingly-independent Oversight Board.

Trump was also suspended from YouTube. For Twitter, Trump was permanently banned and said it has no plans to review or rescind the prohibition, even if Trump runs in a bid for the presidency again.

Trump's appeal was first reported by Channel 4 News in the UK. It is the most consequential case yet for the Oversight Board, having far-reaching political repercussions for the United States.

The Facebook Oversight board was launched in 2020 and has ruled on five cases so far. It declared on January 21 that it would review the company's decision to suspend the former president. The board has a total of 90 days to deliberate whether Trump could remain on the platform. Decisions made by the Board cannot be reversed.

The former president's office did not immediately respond to a request for their side of the story. The board is also reviewing public comments on their appeal.