Meta announces that former US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts are no longer subject to increased suspension penalties, as per a recent update on Friday. The corporation asserts that it has made the deliberate decision to ensure that all Presidential nominees are treated equally, with a focus on their policy platforms, ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
When Meta reinstated Donald Trump’s social media profiles in January 2023, the corporation applied stricter penalties to his accounts than those of other users. Under stiffer penalties, the former President faced the possibility of a two-year ban from Meta for noncompliance with community standards. The corporation claims that Trump will likely be held to the same consequences as any other Facebook or Instagram user.
Beneath these guidelines for regular customers, failure to adhere to Facebook’s Group Requirements will result in immediate removal from the community. Following two strikes, customers may face restrictions on specific posting features for a limited period. After seven infractions, customers incur a full-day posting ban; following ten cumulative offenses, they face a month-long suspension.
“When evaluating our commitment to enabling political expression, we believe it is essential that American citizens have the opportunity to hear from Presidential nominees on an equal footing,” said Meta in a blog post.
Following the January 6 insurrection in 2021, Meta initially banned Trump from its platform; he later had his account reinstated after Facebook remained his preferred means of communicating with supporters online. When CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “The risks of allowing the President to continue using our service during this period are simply too great,” he ultimately banned Trump indefinitely. Today, former President Trump frequently updates his Facebook page, which boasts an impressive following of 34 million users. Yet, he remains even more active on his personal social media platform, Reality Social.
The corporation is revoking its previously lenient approach regarding harsh penalties just before the 2024 Republican National Convention. While Meta has argued that the increased suspension penalties were a response to exceptional circumstances, it has not implemented them against Trump.
Donald Trump posted a scathing response on Reality Social, directly targeting Mark Zuckerberg in a move that sparked widespread media attention. The former President claimed that election fraud perpetrators would face imprisonment, while also addressing Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, with a newly coined moniker: “Zuckerbucks.” Trump cautioned Zuckerberg, warning him to “watch out.”
