Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) has lifted the additional restrictions that were previously imposed on the accounts of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
What Happened: On Friday, Meta updated a blog post saying, “We believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for president on the same basis.”
As a result, Trump, who is expected to be named the Republican presidential nominee at the party’s convention next week, will no longer be subject to the “heightened suspension penalties.” He will, however, still be held to Meta’s rules.
According to the tech giant, the decision is made to ensure equal access to political expression for all candidates ahead of the 2024 election. “All US Presidential candidates remain subject to the same Community Standards as all Facebook and Instagram users,” the company stated.
Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were initially suspended for two years following the U.S. Capitol riot by his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021.
When Trump’s accounts were reinstated in February 2023, Meta had warned of “heightened penalties for repeat offenses,” which could lead to suspensions ranging from one month to two years for any subsequent rules violation.
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Why It Matters: This decision comes in the wake of Trump’s recent threats to imprison Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other “election fraudsters” if he is re-elected.
The former President issued this warning on his social media platform, Truth Social saying, “They have no shame! All I can say is that if I’m elected President, we will pursue Election Fraudsters at levels never seen before, and they will be sent to prison for long periods of time.”
In April this year, Trump also accused President Joe Biden of favoring Zuckerberg’s Meta and attempting to ban TikTok to help Facebook gain more power. He said that Biden was assisting Facebook in becoming more dominant and possibly meddling in elections to the detriment of Republicans.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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