Meta’s decision aims to ensure all presidential nominees have a platform to reach Americans in the lead-up to the election.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced on Friday that it would lift restrictions on content posted by former US President Donald Trump. These restrictions, implemented after Trump’s accounts were unblocked 17 months ago, will no longer apply.
“Former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties”, the statement read. Meta explained that the penalties were put in place due to “extreme and extraordinary circumstances” and “have not had to be deployed”.
Trump was banned from the platforms for over two years following the January 2021 Capitol riot. In January 2023, Facebook’s parent company reinstated his accounts but imposed “heightened penalties for repeat offenses” to “deter” similar behavior.
“American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, wrote in a blog post on Friday.
Joe Biden’s reelection campaign has condemned Meta’s decision.
“Restoring his access is like handing your car keys to someone you know will drive your car into a crowd and off a cliff,” Charles Lutvak, Biden campaign spokesperson, told The Hill. “Without question, it is a direct attack on our safety and our democracy,” Lutvak criticized the decision, asserting that it will allow Trump to disseminate “fundamentally undemocratic, un-American misinformation.”