- Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts have been suspended indefinitely.
- Trump's social media accounts banned after January 6 attack
- US presidential candidates are just like everyone else, says Meta.
Meta has lifted restrictions on the social media accounts of US presidential candidate Donald Trump, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned tech giant announced on Friday.
The move ends measures put in place after Trump supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021. AFP reported.
According to the announcement, “Former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened sanctions of suspension.”
After supporters of the 78-year-old former president attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended indefinitely and he was found to have praised people involved in violence on social media.
Their accounts were reinstated in February 2023, but with the threat of penalties for future violations, an additional restriction that Meta lifted on Friday.
“In assessing our responsibility to enable political expression, we believe the American people should be able to hear from presidential candidates on the same basis,” Meta wrote in a blog post.
The company added that US presidential candidates “remain subject to the same community standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement of violence.”
Trump, the first former president to be convicted of a crime, was also banned from X and YouTube.
While those restrictions were later lifted last year, Trump now communicates primarily on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
His Facebook profile, followed by 34 million users, includes messages originally posted on Truth Social, as well as invitations to demonstrations and videos from his campaign.
