Donald Trump is officially back on Meta's social media accounts.
The California-based tech giant recently restored the former president's accounts on its social media platforms following its announcement to do so in late January.
Meta mentioned it is restoring Trump's access to his accounts as his suspension period has ended and that the "extraordinary circumstances" that were present when it suspended Trump's accounts have "sufficiently receded."
Donald Trump's Meta Social Media Accounts
A Meta spokesperson announced on Feb. 9 that Meta reinstated Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts. Andy Stone, policy communications director at Meta, confirmed the spokesperson's statement to NBC News.
Hover, CNN notes that Trump has yet to resume posting on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, even as of press time. The latest post on Trump's Facebook account was his statement to the people present during the Capitol Siege on Jan. 6, 2021, to "remain peaceful" and "respect our great men and women in Blue."
Meanwhile, the last post on his Instagram account was his invitation to the "Save America March" - the event that precipitated the Capitol Siege.
Trump's silence on his Meta accounts isn't surprising. According to Engadget, he has an exclusivity agreement with his "free speech app" Truth Social, restricting him to share social media posts there first for at least six hours before he could post the same in a different platform.
Regardless of his contract with Truth Social, Trump doesn't seem keen on returning to his former social media accounts - he has yet to post anything on his Twitter account, his once favorite platform, despite Elon Musk having it restored for him on Jan. 10.
Why Did Meta Lift Trump's Suspension?
Meta previously imposed an indefinite suspension of Trump's accounts because he praised the people engaged in violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. However, a consultation with its Oversight Board limited his suspension to just two years, with the Board criticizing the open-ended nature of Trump's suspension and the lack of clear criteria for when and whether it will restore suspended accounts.
As such, Trump's return to Meta's social media accounts was a foregone conclusion, though there is a catch: the "extraordinary circumstances" that was present when Meta suspended Trump's accounts must have "sufficiently receeded," which did.
However, should Trump ever use his accounts again, he would now face heightened penalties for repeat offenses in the past. Should Trump continue to post content violating Meta's updated protocol, Meta will remove the offending content, and he will be suspended for up to a month or two years, depending on the violation's severity.
Additionally, should Trump post something that matches its new criteria to enact its updated protocol, it can only be viewed on Trump's account and not on anyone's Feeds, even if they are following him. Meta may even remove the ability to share such posts and stop them from being recommended or run as ads.
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