Former U.S. President Donald Trump will be allowed to use Facebook and Instagram again soon. Meta, the platforms’ parent company, said Wednesday that it would lift bans imposed two years ago after Trump used both services to publish false claims about the 2020 election and to help rally the crowd that assaulted the U.S Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The company said that its decision to ban Trump was made out of concern that he represented a “serious risk to public safety.” However, Meta said, it has since concluded that that risk “has sufficiently receded” to allow his return, and that his accounts would be restored “in the coming weeks.”
Because of Trump’s prominent role in U.S. politics, it is important that the public hears what he has to say, Meta said. But because of his history with both services, his conduct on the platforms will be monitored.
“In light of his violations, he now also faces heightened penalties for repeat offenses — penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol,” Meta said in a statement. “In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation.”
Trump reacts
Having been banned from almost all major social media platforms until recently, Trump has been posting his statements on Truth Social, a platform that he helped found and his company owns.
In response to Meta’s announcement, Trump posted on Truth Social, using his usual idiosyncratic punctuation and capitalization.
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