Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, announced that it plans to reinstate former United States President Donald Trump's accounts on both platforms after a two-year suspension. However, it noted it would add new policies to act as guardrails.
When the Republican businessman was banned from Facebook, he had the most-followed account on the platform. In the coming weeks, the former president will regain access to his accounts that collectively have hundreds of millions of followers.
Meta Reinstates Donald Trump's Accounts
The situation comes as Trump recently regained access to his Twitter account after Tesla CEO Elon Musk acquired the social media company. Meta moved to suspend Trump from its platforms on Jan. 7, 2021, after hundreds of his loyal supporters stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to stop Joe Biden's presidential certification.
The company argued that Trump's posts on his accounts ran the risk of inciting more violence and were followed by the former president's accounts on YouTube and Twitter being suspended that week, as per the New York Times.
On Wednesday, they decided to reverse the bans after heavy criticism and accusations of censoring Trump and other conservative voices. Officials noted that they had determined that the risk to public safety had "sufficiently receded" since January 2021. Furthermore, the company said it would add several guardrails to "deter repeat offenses" moving forward.
In a statement, Meta's president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, said that the public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying, including the good, the bad, and the ugly. However, he added that this does not mean there are no limits to what any individual can say on the platforms. Clegg argued that when there is a clear risk of real-world harm, they will act against such a threat.
Following Meta's announcement, Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform, saying that "de-platforming" should never again happen in the future for a sitting president of the United States or anybody who did not deserve such retribution.
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Penalties for Repeat Offenses
Meta said that to determine whether or not the threat to public safety has receded, they evaluated the current environment based on the company's Crisis Policy Protocol. This includes observing the conduct of the U.S. 2022 midterm elections and assessments made by experts on the current security environment, according to Meta.
The company added that, like any other Facebook or Instagram user, the former president is subject to Meta's Community Standards. This means that in light of his previous violations, he also faces heightened penalties for repeat offenses. These penalties will also apply to public figures whose accounts were reinstated from separate suspensions.
A source familiar with the matter said that Trump and his team were not given an early notice of his accounts being reinstated. Many of the former president's aides and advisers only learned of the decision from reports by media outlets. Meta asked for a last-minute meeting with Trump's lawyers shortly before the announcement, said CNN.
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