By Azania Patel
Meta, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company is discussing whether Donald Trump should be allowed back on the platforms.
In January 2021, Meta (then known as Facebook Inc) had suspended Donald Trump’s social media accounts for two years. Five people, including a police officer died, in the riot.
Mr Trump posted a video on Facebook and Instagram urging his supporters to go home. However, he also told rioters: “We love you, you’re very special” leading to his ban.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated, ““We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.”
There was some criticism that Big Tech was acting as an unelected censorship body. Meta has fielded similar accusations since. Nick Clegg, VP of Global Affairs wrote “Many argue private companies like Facebook shouldn’t be making these big decisions on their own. We agree,” in a statement at the time.
Trump had vocally criticised Facebook. He said that the move was “an insult” to the millions who voted for him in American presidential election. Meta’s review comes as part of changes in the social media landscape.
The terms of the ban expire at the end of this week. Reports say Meta is reviewing the former president’s ban via a working group. This comes after Elon Musk, Twitter’s new owner, revoked a permanent ban on Trump in November.
Trump has maintained he has no interest in returning to the social media site, saying “I don’t see any reason for it.”
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