Donald Trump, the former US president, will remain suspended from Facebook for two years, the social media giant announced on Friday.
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Trump was initially banned from social media after his comments caused his supporters to storm the US Capitol on January 6. While the ban was initially indefinite, in May Facebook’s independent oversight board said that “it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension”.
Facebook will reinstate him only if the risk to the public has receded.
“Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which merit the highest penalty available under the new enforcement protocols,” Nick Clegg, the vice president of global affairs at Facebook said in a blog post.
Trump’s account will be eligible for reinstation in January 2023, just before the 2024 presidential elections.
According to a report by the Washington Post, the company’s new policy specifically refers to leaders’ and public figures’ behaviour during periods of unrest. It will start with series of time-bound suspensions starting with a one-month suspension for violators. After this, experts will look into the matter and reevaluate the decision after each time period.
Reacting to the decision, Trump said that the ruling was an insult to all those who voted for him. “Facebook shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win. Our country can’t take this abuse anymore!” he said in an emailed statement.
Deadline reported that the former president reiterated his stance during a speech in North Carolina. He said, “They may allow me back in two years. We got to stop that. We can’t let it happen. So unfair. They are shutting down an entire group of people. Not just me. They are shutting down the voice of a much more powerful and a much larger group.”
Trump remains permanently banned from Twitter and YouTube.