Meta on Friday announced that the company will soon lift the restrictions placed on Former President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Meta hopes that this move will ensure equal treatment amongst all presidential candidates leading up to the 2024 US Presidential race. Meta emphasized that this decision is about fairness for all parties.
Originally, Trump’s accounts were suspended by Meta in January 2021 in the wake of Capitol Riots, and the perceived role of Donald Trump in that act of violence.
At that time, Meta’s independent oversight board called on Meta to place definitive rules around Trump’s suspension.
Now, Meta has confirmed that Donald Trump’s accounts have been made available again. Here is how Meta explains it.
“With the party conventions taking place shortly, including the Republican convention next week, the candidates for President of the United States will soon be formally nominated. 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. As a result, former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties. In reaching this conclusion, we also considered that these penalties were a response to extreme and extraordinary circumstances, and have not had to be deployed. All US Presidential candidates 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.”
Last January Meta announced that they would allow former US President Donald Trump on the platform, but it’s now removing the restrictions and processes designed to monitor and ensure rule compliance under the initial suspension.
This effectively means that Trump’s posts will be treated as posts by any other users on the platform.
This could be significant for Trump’s campaign to emerge as a tough leader.
