Facebook and Instagram lifts restrictions on Trump’s accounts

On Friday, Meta said that it was removing limitations placed on US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. These restrictions were put in place following his fans’ violent 2021 Capitol storming.

“Former President Trump, as the Republican Party’s nominee, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties,” it stated.

A day after Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, his Facebook and Instagram accounts were indefinitely disabled after it was discovered he had praised those who participated in violent acts on social media.

His accounts were reinstated in February 2023 but with a threat of penalties for future breaches — an additional restriction that Meta lifted on Friday.

“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.

It 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, the first former president to be convicted of a crime, was also banned from Twitter and YouTube.

While those restrictions were later lifted last year, Trump now mainly communicates on his own social media platform, Truth Social.

His Facebook profile, which has 34 million users, includes messages originally published on Truth Social as well as invitations to rallies and videos from his campaign.