Meta has already extended former President Donald Trump’s “indefinite” suspension from Facebook for over two years. His account has now been restored by the company. According to Meta, Trump will be able to access his Facebook and Instagram accounts in the “coming weeks,” but “new guardrails will be in place to deter repeat offences.”
Trump’s campaign reportedly lobbied for his reinstatement on Facebook ahead of the upcoming presidential primaries. Meta’s decision comes just months after Elon Musk restored former President Barack Obama’s Twitter account. Trump has so far declined to resume his Twitter habit, despite the fact that he has been a Truth Social user since last year.
- Trump begs Meta to reinstate his Facebook account.
- January 6 hearing: Trump calls inquiry as ‘Kangaroo Court’
Another reason he’s back could be Meta’s handling of Trump’s initial suspension, which it quickly extended from a 24-hour ban to an “indefinite” suspension. It was heavily criticized, even by its own Oversight Board, which chastised Meta for not following its own rules and trying to “avoid its responsibilities.” Trump was initially booted from Facebook for publicly praising the rioters in the aftermath of the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
