By Ed JONES / AFP
The former President of the United States could be back on Facebook in January 2023, after his two-year suspension. However, new research shows why this decision could be a very bad idea.
The former President of the United States could be back on Facebook in January 2023, after his two-year suspension. However, new research shows why this decision could be a very bad idea.
The NGO Media Matters For America looked at Donald Trump's online activity on his own social network, Truth Social. In a recent report, the organization demonstrates how the former US president's attitude has worsened on Truth Social: "The platform has become a home for dangerous and hateful content, including Trump’s own 1,524 posts (through October 2) and an additional 673 posts that he has shared. In fact, many of these posts are centered around pushing election misinformation, attacking and inciting violence against his political foes, and promoting the QAnon conspiracy theory," reads the report.
According to Media Matters For America, Donald Trump is reproducing exactly the same behavior he had on Facebook before he was banned from the platform, almost two years ago. According to the NGO's analysis, the politician even participates in the amplification of misinformation such as the QAnon conspiracy theory. His online activity amplified at least 61 QAnon accounts more than 130 times on his social network. On September 27 and 28, 2022 alone, Donald Trump amplified 11 QAnon accounts 22 times in total.
Before being suspended from Twitter, Donald Trump was already amplifying the QAnon conspiracy theory. According to this report, he has now embraced it more openly.
Meta has given itself two years to reconsider Donald Trump's ban from Facebook and Instagram. Following his involvement in the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, 2021, Meta made the decision to temporarily suspend Donald Trump's accounts on Instagram and Facebook, as from January 7. To potentially lift this ban, Meta had said that the firm will reanalyze Donald Trump's behavior: "We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded."
