Former President Donald Trump‘s “indefinite” suspension from Facebook has been lifted after over two years. The social media giant, Meta, has announced that Trump will be able to access his Facebook and Instagram accounts in the “coming weeks” but with new measures in place to prevent repeat offenses.
The decision comes as Trump’s campaign reportedly pushed for the former president to be allowed back on Facebook ahead of the upcoming presidential primaries. This move follows Elon Musk’s decision to restore Trump’s Twitter account last year. However, Trump has not resumed his Twitter activity and has been using the Truth Social platform since.
This decision by Meta also comes after the company faced criticism for its handling of Trump’s initial suspension. The ban was extended from a 24-hour period to an “indefinite” suspension, which was heavily criticized by Meta’s own Oversight Board for not following its own rules and trying to evade its responsibilities. Trump’s suspension was initially imposed for his public praise of the rioters involved in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
The new guardrails in place for Trump’s accounts are yet to be revealed, but the company has stated that it is committed to ensuring that the former president does not use the platform to incite violence or spread misinformation. With the upcoming presidential primaries, it will be interesting to see how Trump utilizes his Facebook and Instagram accounts and the impact it has on the political landscape.
