Social media giant Meta has announced that they will be reinstating former President Donald Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram. The decision comes nearly two years after both social media giants suspended Trump’s accounts following the riot at the U.S Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
Meta’s Oversight Board, a group of independent experts who review content moderation decisions made by the company, had previously upheld the decision to suspend Trump’s accounts. However, in a recent review, the Oversight Board overturned its previous decision and determined that the risk to public safety by allowing Trump to continue using the platform was not as dire as before.
As a general rule, we don’t want to get in the way of open, public and democratic debate on Meta’s platforms — especially in the context of elections in democratic societies like the United States. The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the bad and the ugly — so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box. But that does not mean there are no limits to what people can say on our platform. When there is a clear risk of real world harm — a deliberately high bar for Meta to intervene in public discourse — we act,” Meta said in a statement.
The decision to reinstate Trump’s accounts has been met with mixed reactions. Some have applauded the move as a victory for free speech and the principles of an open internet. Others have criticized it as a dangerous step that could further inflame political divisions and lead to further incitement of violence.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company would be reinstating Trump’s accounts with strict safeguards to prevent further abuse.
It is not yet clear how Trump will use his accounts or what kind of content he will post. However, the move is a clear sign that social media companies are grappling with how to balance free speech with the need to protect public safety and prevent the spread of misinformation.
