Restrictions on Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts have been lifted just months before the US presidential election in November.
The ex-US president’s accounts were suspended in 2021 for comments made during the US Capitol riot, when a far-right insurrection attempt saw a mob trying to breach the main door to the chamber.
His accounts were reinstated in 2023, but with additional monitoring. This restriction has now been lifted, Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta confirmed on Saturday.
“We believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” said Nick Clegg, Meta’s president for global affairs.
“As a result, former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties.”
The former UK deputy prime minister added that “all US Presidential candidates remain subject to the same community standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence.”
Since his accounts were reinstated last year, Mr Trump has mostly posted campaign details and memes attacking president Joe Biden, who is likely to be the Democratic nominee again in November.
Mr Trump – who became the first former president to be convicted of a crime in May – has long drawn controversy for his social media use. Alongside Facebook and Instagram, Twitter suspended his account in the days following the 6 January riots, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.”
The account, which remains within the top ten most followed on the site now known as X, was reinstated in 2023 after new owner Elon Musk ran a poll in which 51.8 per cent of 15 million users voted to allow the president to return.
Mr Trump has only posted once on Twitter/X since being reinstated, however. Instead, the ex-president chooses to communicate with his followers on Truth Social, the social media platform which he established and owns.
Mr Trump looks to be the Republican presidential nominee for the 2024 general election.
This means it’s likely he’ll off against the Democratic nominee in November. Social media will prove a crucial battleground for both parties as they vye for votes across the country, as fears remain that president Biden’s age may affect his chances of success.
