Facebook Will Not Allow Trump Back On Its Platforms

Facebook FB announced Wednesday that former President Donald Trump will not be allowed to resume his account on its social media platforms.

What Happened: The social media company banned Trump from the Facebook and Instagram platforms in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riots, when Trump supporters stormed Capitol Hill in an effort to halt the Electoral College’s confirmation of Joe Biden’s election as the nation’s 46th president. Trump reported issued an appeal to the Facebook Oversight Board.

In announcing its decision, the board stated:

"Obviously Donald Trump has violated Facebook’s terms of service repeatedly, incited hate, spread disinformation, fomented violence and been used as a model for other authoritarian leaders to abuse Facebook. He should be banned forever.

"But do not let Facebook’s Oversight Board distract from the need to ensure real accountability for hate speech, election lies, disinformation and other harmful content."

See Also: TV And Online News Audiences Declined During Biden's First 100 Days: Report

What Happens Next: Trump had also been banished from other social platforms after the Capitol Hill riots, although it's possible he will be making a return at some point.

Twitter TWTR published a blog on March 18 titled “Calling for public input on our approach to world leaders” seeking input on how its policies can “remain relevant to the ever-changing nature of political discourse on Twitter and protect the health of the public conversation.” Many Trump supporters questioned why the former president was banned from Twitter while Iran’s Hassan Rouhani is able to use the platform to call for the destruction of Israel and the denial of the Holocaust.

Trump was also indefinitely suspended from participating on Alphabet's GOOGL YouTube platform and banned from Snapchat SNAP. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki stated Trump will eventually be fully reinstated but didn't give a timeline for his return, while Snapchat hasn't signaled any reversal of its decision.

Trump was invited by the privately-owned right-wing social media sites Gab and Parler to create accounts on their platforms, but he declined their offers.

(Photo by Gage Skidmore / Flickr Creative Commons.)