US tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday it would lift its restrictions on content posted by former US President Donald Trump, which had remained in place despite his accounts being unblocked 17 months ago.
“Former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties”, the statement read. Meta said the penalties were imposed in response to “extreme and extraordinary circumstances” and “have not had to be deployed”.
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Trump was booted from the platforms for more than two years following the riot at the US Capitol in January 2021. Facebook’s parent company announced in January 2023 that it would reinstate the accounts of the former president. However, the official post clarified that he faced “heightened penalties for repeat offenses” as a way to “deter” such behavior.
American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” Meta’s president of global affairs, Nick Clegg, wrote in a blog post on Friday.
Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has condemned Meta’s move.
“Restoring his access is like handing your car keys to someone you know will drive your car into a crowd and off a cliff,” Biden campaign spokesperson Charles Lutvak told The Hill. “Without question, it is a direct attack on our safety and our democracy,” Lutvak slammed the decision, claiming it will allow Trump to reach Americans with “fundamentally undemocratic, un-American misinformation.”
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