Months after it banned him from posting indefinitely, Facebook has finally revealed the date when Donald Trump might be allowed back. Facebook has finally put a potential end date on its suspension of Donald Trump, saying the former US president will not be allowed to post again until at least 2023.
Mr. Trump was banned from publishing on Facebook and Instagram on January 7, after the Capitol riot. His supporters violently stormed Congress in an attempt to stop it from certifying his election defeat. The social media giant said Mr. Trump had used its platforms to spread misinformation and incite violence against the US government. He had spent the previous months falsely claiming the election was “stolen” from him through widespread fraud. Facebook initially said Mr. Trump would be banned until after Joe Biden’s inauguration but later made his suspension indefinite.
Last month Facebook’s independent oversight board, set up to review contentious content moderation decisions, upheld the company’s decision to suspend Mr. Trump – but said it had violated its own policies by making the ban indefinite. The board instructed Facebook to reassess its penalty and replace it with “a proportionate response consistent with the rules”.
Today, Facebook released its response to the oversight board’s ruling, which included new enforcement protocols for “exceptional cases” such as Mr. Trump’s.
The new protocols layout specific penalties for public figures who violate Facebook’s policies during times of civil unrest or violence, with potential suspensions ranging from one month to a maximum of two years.
Continuing violations after an initial suspension can lead to a permanent ban.
Facebook said Mr. Trump would be subject to the maximum initial penalty of two years, meaning his accounts will remain locked until January 7, 2023. At that point, the company will assess whether reinstating him still poses a “risk to public safety”. “Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr. Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which merit the highest penalty available under the new enforcement protocols,” said Nick Clegg, the former British deputy prime minister. He now works as Facebook’s vice president of global affairs.
“We are suspending his accounts for two years, effective from the date of the initial suspension on January 7 this year. “At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly, and other markers of civil unrest. “If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.
