Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has decided to lift the restrictions on former President Donald Trump’s accounts. This update, initially announced in January 2023, signals the return of Trump’s presence on these platforms as he is now the presumptive Republican nominee for the upcoming presidential election. Axios was the first to report this development.
Trump was banned from Meta’s platforms following the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, which Meta described as occurring under “extreme and highly unusual circumstances.”
The violence during the attack resulted in seven deaths, either directly or as collateral damage. The suspension came after Trump made statements praising the attackers, calling them “great patriots,” which Meta’s Oversight Board found to be severe violations of community guidelines.
Donald Trump
In May following the suspension, Meta’s Oversight Board ruled that the indefinite suspension was inappropriate and recommended a time-bound suspension with stricter penalties for any future violations. Two years later, Meta has now reinstated Trump’s accounts, stating that he will be subject to the same community standards as any other user moving forward.
This decision comes as political conventions approach, with Meta emphasizing the importance of allowing political expression and ensuring the American public can hear from presidential nominees.
Similarly, Twitter, now known as X, initially suspended Trump for inciting violence during the Capitol attack and later banned him completely. However, the ban was lifted after Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, conducted a poll that favored reinstating Trump’s account.
