Facebook’s Decision to Suspend Donald Trump’s Accounts Upheld by Oversight Board

Earlier this year, after populating his social media feeds with election fraud and conspiracy theories about the election being “stolen,” former President Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and suspended from YouTube. Facebook and Instagram also banned Trump from accessing his account on their social media platforms.

According to a recent announcement from Facebook, its oversight board has upheld Trump’s suspension.

“Today, the Oversight Board upheld Facebook’s suspension of former US President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. As we stated in January, we believe our decision was necessary and right, and we’re pleased the board has recognized that the unprecedented circumstances justified the exceptional measure we took.

“However, while the board has not required Facebook to immediately restore Mr. Trump’s accounts, it has not specified the appropriate duration of the penalty. Instead, the board criticized the open-ended nature of the suspension, calling it an “indeterminate and standardless penalty,” and insisted we review our response. We will now consider the board’s decision and determine an action that is clear and proportionate. In the meantime, Mr. Trump’s accounts remain suspended.”

Facebook was referring to a video Trump posted after he was accused of inciting the riot at the Capitol on January 6.

In the video, Trump said:

“I know your pain. I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election, and everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us, from me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace.”

After Facebook removed the video, Trump posted this statement that allowed the social media platform to suspend his accounts.

“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love in peace. Remember this day forever!”