Meta restores Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram page after two-year suspension

Meta Platforms has restored former US President Donald Trump’s Facebook page after a two-year suspension following the deadly Capitol Hill riot on January 6, 2021.

Meta announced last month that it would restore Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. His Instagram page was not immediately accessible on Thursday.

Donald Trump announced in November that he would make another run for the White House in 2024. It has been speculated that restoring his accounts could give Trump, who has 34 million Facebook followers, a boost and other platforms that are key vehicles for political outreach. and fundraising.

New Twitter CEO Elon Musk also reinstated Trump’s account in November, although Trump has yet to post there.

In a blog post in January, Meta said he doesn’t want to hinder open, public, and democratic debate on social media platforms, especially when it comes to elections in democratic societies like the United States.

Trump’s account has been suspended on Facebook and Instagram by Meta indefinitely “following his praise for those involved in the violence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021.” The decision was referred to the Supervisory Board, which “criticized the indefinite nature of the suspension and the lack of clear criteria for when and if suspended accounts will be reinstated.”

However, Trump’s restored accounts will also be subject to Meta Community Standards. The former US president also risks sanctions in the event of a repeat offense. Going forward, if Trump’s posts are found to violate the content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation.

As of this writing, Trump’s account has also been reinstated on Instagram, where he has 23.4 million followers.