Meta announced on Friday, July 12, 2024 that it has lifted the restrictions on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. These measures had been in place since his supporters violently stormed the US Capitol in 2021.
“Former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties,” Meta stated.
Trump’s accounts were suspended indefinitely a day after the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, following his praise for individuals engaged in violence on social media. His accounts were reinstated in February 2023, but with a warning of penalties for future breaches—an additional restriction that Meta has now lifted.
“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,” Meta wrote in a blog post. They added that US presidential candidates “remain subject to the same Community Standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence.”
Trump, who is the first former president to be convicted of a crime, was also banned from Twitter and YouTube. Although those restrictions were lifted last year, Trump now primarily communicates through his own social media platform, Truth Social. His Facebook profile, with 34 million followers, includes messages originally published on Truth Social, as well as invitations to rallies and campaign videos
