WASHINGTON: Meta said on Friday it was lifting restrictions on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, ending measures put in place after his supporters violently attacked the US Capitol in 2021.
It stated that “former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to enhanced suspension penalties.”
Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended indefinitely a day after his supporters attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and it was determined that he had praised people involved in the violence on social media.
His accounts were reinstated in February 2023, but with the threat of penalties for future violations — another restriction that the Meta lifted on Friday.
“In assessing our responsibility to enable political expression, we believe the American people should be able to hear the presidential candidates on an equal footing,” Meta wrote in a blog post.
He 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.”
While those restrictions were lifted later last year, Trump now communicates mainly on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
His Facebook profile, which has 34 million users, includes news originally published on Truth Social, as well as rally invitations and videos from his campaign.
