WASHINGTON – Social media giant Facebook has banned former United States President Donald Trump for two years, citing that ‘they will no longer exempt politicians and public figures from some of its protocols’.
World’s largest social media company on Friday issued a statement which stated that Donald Trump will be reinstated in 2023 only ‘if the risk to public safety has subsided’. Vice President of Global Affairs of Facebook Nick Clegg said ‘Trump deserved the maximum punishment for violating platform rules over a deadly attack by his supporters on the US Capitol’.
Adding that, ‘we are suspending his accounts for two years, effective from the date of the initial suspension on January 7 this year’.
Meanwhile, Trump also responded to the ban. ‘The decision by Facebook was an insult to the record-setting 75 million people, plus many others, who voted for us in the 2020 Rigged Presidential Election’, he said after getting the latest announcement from Facebook.
The social media giants suspended Trump’s account after he shared a clip during the attack by his fired-up supporters challenging his election loss, in which he told them: “We love you, you’re very special.”
The two-year ban for the Republican leader means he could be back on social media ahead of the 2024 presidential election. He earlier hinted that he is seriously considering a second run at the presidency in 2024.
Earlier, the independent oversight board termed Facebook’s decision ‘right’ to ban Trump for his comments regarding the deadly riots at the US Capitol.
Facebook along with other social networking platforms faced intense scrutiny over whether it is evenly applying its content standards among public figures in different political parties, cultures, and countries.
On the other hand, White House Press Secretary Jennifer Psaki also responded that internet platforms have a responsibility to crack down on disinformation, and expressed doubt that Trump would use Facebook any differently when his account is restored. ‘Feels pretty unlikely that the zebra’s going to change his stripes over the next two years’, she added.
In a first for any US president, Trump impeached for second time
