Meta announced that Donald Trump's accounts are now freed from penalties and restrictions on Instagram and Facebook, effective immediately.
Trump's social media accounts faced numerous suspensions for years from various companies due to community guideline violations.
Trump's Meta Accounts Are Back Ahead of 2024 Elections
In 2021, Meta imposed a two-year suspension for Trump's social media accounts due to suspicious actions that could incite more violence at the time. In 2023, the former president regained access to his accounts but still serves under penalties and restrictions.
"In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis," said Nick Clegg, president of global affairs at Meta.
The social media company emphasized that lifting restrictions is based on giving parity among the U.S. presidential candidates. The party conventions will soon take place in the following weeks.
Meta Continues to Assess Trump's Compliance
In a blog post, Meta updated its policy for restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest. The company stated several considerations that could result in account suspension for public figures.
The company also announced that if Trump were to violate again the community guidelines, he would face a shorter possible suspension. Meta also reserved the right to limit the distribution of posts that could lead to a risky situation.
The company also revealed that it could remove the reshare button for suspicious posts and stop them from being recommended as ads. The tech giant promised that it would create necessary and proportionate penalties for severe violations.
Aside from Trump, all politicians will be subject to general content rules that apply to all users of Meta's apps.
