Donald Trump has recently announced his presidential run for the upcoming 2024 U.S. elections. However, he is still banned from using Meta's Facebook.
Facebook Ban
Following the former president's statement that he will once again run for election, Meta confirmed on Wednesday, Nov.16, that the social media app has no plans to restore Trump's account, according to a report by AP.
The ban was imposed on Trump's account following the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
However, there is still a possibility that Trump might return to the site soon since the ban was issued two years ago and will be reviewed in January 2023.
But if Trump chooses to go back to the platform, if he's given the chance, he will not be subject to Facebook fact-checks - an aspect that has largely riddled his former presidency for spreading misinformation online and in interviews.
This is due to the fact that Facebook's guidelines state that remarks made by candidates or elected officials will not be subject to fact checks on the platform.
According to a memo obtained by CNN on Tuesday, Meta said that they will no longer fact-check any statements from a political speech, regardless if they are false or not. Nick Clegg, the company's executive, noted that it is not their "role" to intervene when politicians make speeches.
Trump's use of social media during his time in office presented a huge problem for major social media platforms trying to strike a balance between the public's right to hear from elected officials and concerns about misinformation, hate speech, etc.
Following the riot on January 6, Trump was also banned from Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. The former president was also banned from posting videos on his YouTube channel.
Ivy Choi, a spokesperson for YouTube, stated on Wednesday that the company has no intentions to end the suspension.
All Eyes on Musk
All eyes are now on the new Chief Twit, Elon Musk, who has stated even before acquiring Twitter that he disagrees with Trump's permanent ban after the Jan. 6 incident.
However, Musk noted that the app will not reinstate banned users until a content moderation council has examined the issue.
Trump launched his own social media network, TruthSocial, after being suspended from Twitter, and he has stated he has no intention of returning even if permitted.
On Jan. 6, Facebook first suspended Trump's account for 24 hours for lauding the rioters who attacked the Capitol. On January 7, Facebook's founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a permanent suspension announcement.
The restriction was upheld by the company's independent monitoring board, although Facebook was told to put a time limit. The current deadline for the ban is January 7, 2023.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Jace Dela Cruz
