Meta Removes Restrictions On Trump's Facebook, Instagram Accounts

Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty 

San Francisco:  Meta announced on Friday that it is lifting restrictions on Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts, which were imposed following the violent storming of the US Capitol by his supporters in 2021. The company stated that "former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to heightened suspension penalties."

Trump's accounts were suspended indefinitely on January 7, 2021, a day after the Capitol attack, due to his perceived praise for those engaging in violence on social media. Although his accounts were reinstated in February 2023, there was an ongoing threat of penalties for any future violations—this additional restriction has now also been removed.

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In a blog post, Meta explained that in weighing its responsibility to facilitate political expression, it believes the American public should have access to hear from presidential nominees on equal footing. However, it emphasized that US presidential candidates are still held to the same Community Standards as all users of Facebook and Instagram, which include policies aimed at preventing hate speech and incitement to violence.

Trump, who is the first former president to be convicted of a crime, has also faced bans from Twitter and YouTube, although those restrictions were lifted last year. Currently, he primarily communicates through his own social media platform, Truth Social. His Facebook profile, which has 34 million followers, features posts originally shared on Truth Social, as well as invitations to rallies and campaign videos.