Earlier this year, then-President Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram for inciting an attack on the U.S. Capitol.
On Jan. 6th, Trump told his Facebook followers they should “remember this day forever” and that “these are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly and unfairly treated for so long.”
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said at the time that the ban was due at least in part to a heightened risk of violence or disruption during the presidential transition.
Now, the Facebook Oversight Board has decided to continue to restrict the former president’s ability to post, but that the company was wrong to do so without determining for how long Trump would be banned.
From its case summary:
The Board has upheld Facebook’s decision on January 7, 2021, to restrict then-President Donald Trump’s access to posting content on his Facebook page and Instagram account.
However, it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension. Facebook’s normal penalties include removing the violating content, imposing a time-bound period of suspension, or permanently disabling the page and account.
What does this decision mean for the president? And for the company?
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