Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Trump National Doral Golf Club on July 9, 2024 in Doral, Florida.
Joe Reddell | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Yuan Trump said on Friday it would lift any penalties and restrictions previously imposed on former President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts as the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaches.
The company first took action against Trump’s social media accounts in 2021, shortly after the January 6 insurrection in Washington, DC. Some of the president’s actions, such as praising the Capitol rioters, are potential risks of inciting more violence.
In January 2023, Meta said it would reinstate Trump on its platform, and he regained access to his account the following month. But Trump remains subject to remaining penalties and restrictions, which could result in a lengthy suspension of his social media accounts.
Following Meta’s latest announcement, Trump will face a shorter suspension, likely lasting just a few days, if he violates the company’s community guidelines, rather than a longer suspension based on previously imposed penalties.
Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta, wrote on Friday Blog article The initial suspensions and penalties “were a response to extreme and exceptional circumstances and were not necessarily deployed”.
“With party conventions approaching, including next week’s Republican National Convention, a formal nomination for President of the United States will soon be available,” Craig wrote. “In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe The American people should be able to hear from their presidential nominee on the same basis.”
A Meta spokesperson described the update as “simply putting Republican candidate Trump on equal footing with President Biden.”
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