“At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest,”
The two-year suspension is effective from
In a press release, the former president called Facebook’s decision “an insult.”
“They 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!” the press release stated.
Social platforms like Facebook and Twitter have become indispensable tools for politicians looking both to get their messages out and to raise small-dollar donations. Without the megaphone of Twitter and the targeted fundraising appeals his campaign mastered on Facebook, Trump could be at a serious disadvantage relative to other politicians.
Trump hasn’t yet said whether he plans to run again for president in 2024. But in a sign of how difficult he finds his current circumstances, the blog he launched with much fanfare earlier this year was shut down after less than a month.
On Facebook, Trump’s suspension has meant that his account is essentially in
Facebook also plans to end a contentious policy championed by CEO
The social media giant said on Friday that while it will still apply this “newsworthiness" exemption to certain posts it deems to be in the public interest even if they violate
The announcements are in response to recommendations from the company’s quasi-independent oversight board. Last month that panel upheld a decision by
In its decision last month, the board agreed with
“We love you. You’re very special,” Trump said to the rioters in the first post. In the second, he called them “great patriots” and told them to “remember this day forever.”
Those violated Facebook’s rules against praising or supporting people engaged in violence, the board said, warranting the suspension. Specifically, the board cited Facebook’s rules against “dangerous individuals and organizations,” which prohibit anyone who proclaims a violent mission and bans posts that express support or praise of these people or groups.
A group calling itself the Real
“It’s pretty straightforward.
Steyer also questioned what it meant for other parts of the world led by Trump-like leaders such as Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro.
“I don’t think it sends a good message to the Bolsonaros of the world and other autocrats who are using this platform,” he said.
The newsworthiness exemption, he explained in a blog post at the time, meant that if “someone makes a statement or shares a post which breaks our community standards we will still allow it on our platform if we believe the public interest in seeing it outweighs the risk of harm.”
In some ways, though, the newsworthiness exemption is a bit of a red herring. Even though Facebook never applied it to Trump's post, it did give the former president special treatment and free reign for years to spread misinformation and threats on the platform. Outside critics and even
Last summer, for instance, Zuckerberg decided to leave up posts by Trump that suggested protesters in
The former president also used his social media megaphone to attack critics and spread misinformation about elections. While
In Friday's post, Clegg anticipated criticism from both sides of the political aisle.
“We know that any penalty we apply — or choose not to apply — will be controversial. There are many people who believe it was not appropriate for a private company like
But in staying in a mushy middle, some experts said
“It’s the wait-and-see approach,” said
AP Technology Writers
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission., source