Facebook upholds ban on Donald Trump’s account

Facebook will maintain its account ban on Donald Trump, the company’s oversight board announced on Wednesday. The social media giant’s independent oversight board upheld the ban on the former US president, but said the decision should be reviewed in six months.

It said Trump “created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible,” referring to the January 6 siege of the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

“Given the seriousness of the violations and the ongoing risk of violence, Facebook was justified in suspending Mr. Trump’s accounts on January 6 and extending that suspension on January 7,” the board said after its review.

When calling for a six-month review, the panel said “it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension.”

“It is not permissible for Facebook to keep a user off the platform for an undefined period, with no criteria for when or whether the account will be restored,” the review board said in its written opinion. Members said Facebook should either ban him permanently or give him a time-limited suspension.

What does the board do?

The review board was established recently and includes academics, lawyers and rights activists. Its decisions are binding on the company.

Trump’s social media outbursts, and the diatribes of authoritian leaders around the world, have prompted a reckoning on tech platforms on how to deal with world leaders that violate their rules.

Facebook was criticized both for stifling the communication of democratically elected leaders, but also for carrying dangerous messages.