Donald Trump Returns to Facebook, YouTube After Two-Year Ban

Donald Trump is back on his social media as he posted to Facebook and YouTube on Friday with a caption, "I'M BACK!". His return on both social media platforms comes more than two years after being banned over the US Capitol insurrection.

Coming Back to Facebook and YouTube

As YouTube and Facebook reinstate his account, former United States President Donald Trump returns to both platforms with a video stating, "I'm back!'. Reuters reported that the posted content shows a video from CNN announcing his election as President in 2016, ending with a Trump 2024 on the screen.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Complicated business," he stated on the video. Trump's return will allow him to access several key vehicles for political fundraising and reach a combined 146 million followers across the three major tech platforms as he runs again for the presidency in 2024.

Alphabet's YouTube reinstated his channel earlier on Friday, while Meta restored his Facebook and Instagram accounts earlier this year. Chief Tweet Elon Musk also reinstated his Twitter account last year after a poll, but Trump has yet to post on the platform.

As per YouTube's decision to restore his account, the company stated, "We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election."

Meanwhile, Meta Vice President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg stated, "If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded." His campaign spokesman believes that being back on Facebook will be an important channel for his 2024 campaign to reach voters.

South China Morning Post reported that advocacy groups like Media Matters for America strongly opposed Trump's return to social media as these companies exploit the social networking reach of the Big Tech giants.

Advocacy group Accountable Tech's Executive Director Nicole Gill stated that Trump's online behavior became worse and more dangerous over the years. She stated, "YouTube put profits and politics over the safety of their users, the integrity of their platform, and the wellbeing of our democracy."

Banning the Former President

The 45th President of the United States heavily used social media platforms during his successful bid for the White House in 2016 and his four-year stay in office.

But all of this miserably collapsed when a mob of his supporters sought to halt the certification of his defeat to President Joe Biden in the United States Presidential election in 2020. His supporters rioted in the US Capitol in Washington, and Trump was sanctioned for posting content on several platforms that incited violence.

In response to this, Trump started his own platform called Truth Social, where he garnered 5 million followers. NPR reported that this is where he continuously claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from him as he presented several conspiracy theories.