Meta Plans Decision On Facebook Trump Ban

Facebook parent Meta is planning to announce a decision on whether to allow former US president Donald Trump to return to the platform this month.

The company previously said it would make the decision by 7 January, 2023, but a report by the Financial Times said the decision is now expected later in the month, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Former UK deputy prime minister Nick Clegg is overseeing the decision-making process as Meta’s president of global affairs, after taking on an expanded role last February, the paper said, while Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg focuses on product and the virtual-reality plans.

The paper said Meta has set up a working group to focus on the decision, including staff from public policy and communications, content policy and safety and integrity teams.

‘Silencing’ political voices

In October Clegg said a private company should approach with “thoughtfulness” any decision which would “silence political voices”.

In June Meta said if Trump were allowed to return there would be a “strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr Trump commits further violations in future”.

Some industry watchers have pointed to controversial posts on Trump’s own Truth Social network as reasons against allowing him to return to Facebook.

Last month activist group Accountable Tech highlighted 350 Trump posts on Truth Social that would break Facebook’s policy rules, including about 100 which it said amplify followers and sympathiers of QAnon, a conspiracy theory that is banned from Facebook.

Social ban

Trump was banned from Facebook and other social media platforms following the deadly 6 January, 2021 attack on the US Capitol building, but was recently allowed to return to Twitter by new owner Elon Musk.

Trump, who recently announced he will run for president again in 2024, said he didn’t “see any reason” to return to Twitter.