Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, recently announced that it will no longer subject former President Donald Trump’s social media accounts to heightened suspension penalties. This decision was made to ensure that all Presidential nominees are on equal footing on the platform leading up to the 2024 Presidential election.
When Meta reinstated Trump’s social media profiles in January 2023, he was subjected to stricter penalties than other users. Under these heightened penalties, Trump could have been banned for up to two years for violating Meta’s community standards. However, the company has now decided to hold Trump to the same penalties as any other Facebook or Instagram user.
For normal users, breaking Facebook’s Community Standards results in a warning. After two strikes, users can be banned from specific posting features for a limited period of time. Only after seven violations are users banned from posting for an entire day, and it takes 10 strikes to receive a month-long ban.
Meta stated in a blog post that they believe in allowing political expression and that the American people should be able to hear from Presidential nominees on the same basis.
Trump’s ban from Facebook originally occurred following the January 6 insurrection in 2021, when Facebook was his primary means of communication with his supporters. CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained at the time that the risks of allowing the President to continue using their service were too great, leading to an indefinite ban. Although Trump now regularly posts on Facebook for his 34 million followers, he is more active on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
The decision to roll back the harsh penalties against Trump comes just before the 2024 Republican National Convention. Meta clarifies that these heightened suspension penalties were implemented in response to extreme circumstances but were never actually used against Trump.
In a recent statement on Truth Social, Trump made a threatening remark towards Mark Zuckerberg, referring to him by the nickname “Zuckerbucks.” Trump warned Zuckerberg to “be careful” and stated that he would put “election fraudsters” in prison.
Overall, Meta’s decision to remove the heightened suspension penalties for Trump’s social media accounts aims to level the playing field for all Presidential nominees on their platform. It reflects the company’s commitment to allowing political expression while also addressing the unique circumstances surrounding Trump’s ban and his continued presence on social media.
