Discussion

• Complex Joshua Espinoza on x

  Meta to Restore Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram Accounts

• Vox Shirin Ghaffary on x

  Trump hasn't changed. But Facebook is giving him a second chance.

• @nickclegg Nick Clegg on x

  As a general rule, we don't want to get in the way of open debate on our platforms, esp in context of democratic elections. People should be able to hear what politicians are saying - good, bad & ugly - to make informed choices at the ballot box. 1/4

• @repadamschiff Adam Schiff on x

  Trump incited an insurrection. And tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power. He's shown no remorse. No contrition. Giving him back access to a social media platform to spread his lies and demagoguery is dangerous. @facebook caved, giving him a platform to do more harm.

• @oversightboard @oversightboard on x

  Today Meta made an important announcement stemming from a case we reviewed about whether or not the company was correct in its decision in 2021 to restrict then-President Trump from their platforms. Our response to Meta's announcement is below.

• @janschakowsky Jan Schakowsky on x

  The reinstatement of Trump's accounts shows that there is no low Mark Zuckerberg will not stoop to in order to reverse Meta's cratering revenue and stagnant consumer growth, even if it means damaging our democracy.

• @joycewhitevance Joyce Alene on x

  The real issue here is that our criminal justice system, more than 2 years out, has failed to hold Trump accountable. It does takes time to build a successful prosecution, but we are running out of it. As Meta's decision shows, the clock is ticking. https://www.nbcnews.com/...

• @brianstelter Brian Stelter on x

  Nick Clegg on Trump: “We just do not want — if he is to return to our services — for him to do what he did on January 6, which is to use our services to delegitimize the 2024 election, much as he sought to discredit the 2020 election.” https://www.axios.com/...

• @naominixwrites @naominixwrites on x

  A few thoughts: The real power for Trump in this decision will be giving him access to Facebook's advertising tools to generate those smaller dollar donations. https://twitter.com/...

• @aclu @aclu on x

  This is the right call. Like it or not, President Trump is one of the country's leading political figures and the public has a strong interest in hearing his speech. https://twitter.com/...

• @janschakowsky Jan Schakowsky on x

  After years of broken of promises, I unfortunately do not expect this time to be any different. The Capitol community is still picking up the pieces from the January 6th insurrection that Trump ignited, and now he is returning to the virtual scene of the crime.

• @nickclegg Nick Clegg on x

  We know any decision we make on this will be fiercely criticised. We tried to make it as best we can consistent with our values and the process established in response to @oversightboard's guidance. 4/4 https://about.fb.com/...

• @joelkatz @joelkatz on x

  Scott Adams thinks the gov't should punish Facebook because he doesn't like the content of their media products. I don't like the content of Fox News, but I have enough understanding of the First Amendment and respect for their freedom of speech not to call for gov't punishment. …

• @jeffjarvis Jeff Jarvis on x

  I remain unhappy with the Oversight Board for its Trump decision, forcing Facebook to set a date to decide — and this decision was then, likely inevitable. https://oversightboard.com/...

• @jamesclayton5 James Clayton on x

  Trump invited back to FB/Insta. This is the crucial caveat though. He's going to have conform to FB's rules or face another suspension. So, if he does come back, can he hold his tongue? https://twitter.com/...

• @sarafischer Sara Fischer on x

  🚨🚨🚨 #BREAKING : @Meta to reinstate @realdonaldtrump Facebook and Instagram accounts “in coming weeks” following a 2yr ban, @NickClegg, the company's president of global affairs, told me and @mikeallen in an interview Read on @axios: https://t.co/GB6vS0qKOn

• @kaitlancollins Kaitlan Collins on x

  Trump responds [FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since “deplatforming” your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account. Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of…

• @benshapiro Ben Shapiro on x

  Facebook is right to readmit Trump. Unfortunately, their statement is one of the most disastrous pieces of gobbledygook committed to writing in recent history https://about.fb.com/...

• @mehdirhasan Mehdi Hasan on x

  Donald Trump has been indicted for no crimes. Donald Trump has been reinstated to Twitter and Facebook. Donald Trump is running for president again. It's almost as if a violent, Trump-incited insurrection never happened. Or happened, and was then forgotten.

• @victorshi2020 Victor Shi on x

  When will we realize that Trump will never learn from his mistakes. He will never gain a sense of morality or shame. He will wield the platform he is given for dangerous purposes. This should alarm all of us.

• @zaleskiluke Luke Zaleski on x

  This is tragic. A collective failure of Americans to come together to have some baseline for acceptable civic behavior and public service. If you can't hold a former president who attacked the Capitol and Congress accountable you're not a free country. You're a hostage situation …

• @bryson_m Bryson on x

  trump's crazier than ever. he's going to be suspended again in a matter of weeks (if meta remotely upholds its rules) https://twitter.com/...

• @billym2k Shibetoshi Nakamoto on x

  @SusanLiTV i think nobody cares about facebook anymore cuz i haven't heard any pointless outrage

• @fboversight @fboversight on x

  We disagree wholeheartedly with this decision. It is dangerous to our online platforms, for the country, and for our democracy. Read our statement below: https://t.co/QtFqeD82gO

• @accountabletech @accountabletech on x

  Today, Facebook chose profit over safety. Our research found his inflammatory posts on Truth Social repeatedly violate Facebook's own criteria for reinstatement. He now has an even larger platform to spread content that threatens our democracy. https://www.bloomberg.com/...

• @meridithmcgraw Meridith McGraw on x

  Trump responds to Meta's decision to allow him back on Facebook and Instagram, but doesn't say if he will re-join (aides have noted Facebook is important for his campaign's fundraising success): https://twitter.com/...

• @donmoyn Don Moynihan on x

  Since Trump was originally suspended he *denies he did anything wrong in encouraging the insurrection *continues to spread the lies that led to violence *remains the leading GOP presidential contender No lessening of threat, no remorse, no acknowledgment of error. Come on back. h…

• @wajahatali Wajahat Ali on x

  Trump being reinstated is a political decision by Meta to placate Republicans who now have the House. They want to bend the knee to avoid oversight and scrutiny. Also, they're paving for an eventual GOP win in 2024. Hedging their bets. It's what the company has always done.

• @aweissmann_ @aweissmann_ on x

  What's the Meta theory here: yes, you incited an insurrection to overthrow democracy, but let's let bygones be bygones? Or, to quote Susan Collins, do you think he has learned his lesson? We know from DJT's false statements since then that is not true.

• @yashar @yashar on x

  Reaction from Trump https://t.co/qbbVeiZbYl https://t.co/6C3j69zQ2n

• @janschakowsky Jan Schakowsky on x

  This is a dangerous decision. Reinstating former President Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts will only fan the flames of hatred and division that led to an insurrection. Meta has had ‘guardrails’ in place that have been repeatedly ignored for high-profile accounts. https://…

• @mzhemingway Mollie on x

  Facebook's war on free speech is horrific and massive. Today, Meta exec Nick Clegg falsely claimed the company — which deplatformed the sitting president of the US and censored all debate on COVID — doesn't “want to get in the way of open, public and democratic debate.”

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  Meta has decided to allow Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram, ending his two-year suspension after the Jan 6 riot (Not shocking after Twitter did the same) https://t.co/TRFqnakkr6

• @oversightboard @oversightboard on x

  Earlier this month Meta briefed the Board on the process they were using to come to an updated decision. Yesterday Meta informed us that they reached a decision. Today's decision to reinstate Mr. Trump on Meta's platforms sat with Meta alone — the Board did not have a role.

• @jameeljaffer Jameel Jaffer on x

  Our comment on Meta's decision to reinstate Trump. Tl;dr this is the right call. https://knightcolumbia.org/...

• @juwanthewriter @juwanthewriter on x

  “Hey, you know that thing you did twice? And never apologized for, let alone stopped doing? Please don't do it again — even though we're giving you the opportunity and space to do so!” - Executives of a supposedly trustworthy network used by billions of people https://twitter.com…

• @brianstelter Brian Stelter on x

  Meta: “In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation.” https://about.fb.com/...

• @gardnerakayla Akayla Gardner on x

  Trump acknowledged Facebook's decision to allow him to rejoin the platform, but doesn't say whether he'll be active. “Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President,” he says. https://twitter.com/...

• @nickclegg Nick Clegg on x

  To assess the risk, we evaluated current circumstances according to our Crisis Policy Protocol, established in response to @oversightboard's guidance, inc looking at conduct of 2022 midterms & expert assessment of security environment. 3/4

• @kit_yates_maths Kit Yates on x

  Nick Clegg hits rock bottom. “Meta will reinstate former President Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts “in coming weeks” following a two-year suspension, according to Nick Clegg, the company's president, global affairs” https://www.axios.com/...

• @oliverdarcy Oliver Darcy on x

  Meta says Trump will be allowed back on its platforms. “The fact is people will always say all kinds of things on the internet. We default to letting people speak, even when what they have to say is distasteful or factually wrong. Democracy is messy...” https://about.fb.com/...

• @nickclegg Nick Clegg on x

  Now Trump's 2-year suspension has elapsed, the question is whether the serious risk to public safety that existed in January 2021 has receded enough to allow the suspension to expire. 2/4

• @attorneynora Nora Benavidez on x

  BREAKING: Trump to be reinstated on @Meta after his two-year suspension for inciting violence and violating multiple company policies. Now, Meta should bear the responsibility of whatever harms result from this decision.

• @cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x

  if Trump gets reinstated on social media platforms and people on here don't really care much anymore i think that's prob the best evidence that the age of social media and the 2010s are finally over lol

• @oversightboard @oversightboard on x

  As part of the Board's ongoing work on tracking Meta's implementation of the Board's recommendations across all decisions, the Board will publish a fuller analysis of this case in a future quarterly transparency report.

• @evan_greer @evan_greer on x

  THREAD: Welp, it happened. Meta has announced that they plan to reinstate the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former president Donald Trump. The news will undoubtedly lead to a breathless news cycle and renewed debate about large tech platforms' speech and moderation policies.

• @wajahatali Wajahat Ali on x

  When every institution keeps doing a “both sides” to placate Republicans, you get Trump being reinstated on Facebook to unleash hate and violence against his enemies. Fascism will be welcomed by corporations if its good for the bottom line and access to power.

• @jamesbsumner James Sumner on x

  Bad general rule. There are regions of the political spectrum where politicians are, by definition, premeditating murder and incapable of acting in good faith. You either limit the bastards' right to self-expression or you limit innocent people's right to life. That's yer choice.…

• @rashadrobinson Rashad Robinson on x

  Trump is back on Facebook, despite the lack of concrete regulations or policy to ensure he won't spread the kind of misinformation and incitement of violence that led to one of the biggest threats to our democracy in decades: the January 6 insurrection. https://twitter.com/...

• @public_citizen @public_citizen on x

  Last year, Facebook flagged our Jan 6 video as “false information”. Trump using stolen election lies to incite an insurrection is a fact. Now, it's letting Trump back on the platform. Facebook never cared about the truth. It only cares about appeasing extremists. https://twitter.…

• @oversightboard @oversightboard on x

  Today's decision is a pivotal moment in the debate over the best way to handle content posted by politicians on social media. Independent oversight of decisions related to speech is why the Board was set up — to ensure that companies act in a transparent & accountable manner.

• @matthewkeyslive Matthew Keys on x

  UPDATE: Meta says public figures like Trump will face the equivalent of digital prison on their platforms, with suspensions of two months to one year, for future violations of content policies.

• @dashdobrofsky @dashdobrofsky on x

  Meta has decided to reinstate Donald Trump's account on Facebook & Instagram. In other words, Mark Zuckerberg witnessed the deadly January 6th Insurrection and J6 Committee hearings — and still came to the conclusion that Trump should be given a megaphone to do it all over again.

• @michaelsteele Michael Steele on x

  Private company. Private platform. Their decision. But we know the behavior hasn't changed and the lies continue—reinforced by feckless political figures who just want Trump to like them. Whether it's Twitter or Facebook, there are consequences. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ..…

• @strategistmag Chris Middleton on x

  @nickclegg So you are stating publicly that Trump was a serious risk to public safety in January 2021.

• @atrupar Aaron Rupar on x

  telling that Meta has to specify that QAnon posts are not acceptable in the statement announcing Trump's restoration to Facebook https://twitter.com/...

• @donwinslow Don Winslow on x

  Just a coincidence that Donald Trump is being restored to Twitter and Facebook as he begins to run for President in 2024. Just a coincidence I'm sure...

• @evan_greer @evan_greer on x

  Every major media outlet in the world is going to cover Meta's decision to allow Trump back onto Facebook and Instagram. Almost none of them have covered the systematic censorship that Arab and Muslim folks, sex workers, and trans activists face on those same platforms.

• @wajahatali Wajahat Ali on x

  And Facebook said, “Hey, welcome back!” https://twitter.com/...

• @beijingpalmer James Palmer on x

  well this is certainly the decision making skills and ability to use leverage that I expect from Nick Clegg https://twitter.com/...

• @parkermolloy Parker Molloy on x

  Calling it now: Trump will post something that absolutely violates these new rules within his first week back on the platform and Facebook/Meta/whatever will do absolutely nothing about it. I don't know why they even bother pretending. https://twitter.com/...

• @atrupar Aaron Rupar on x

  Notable also that Meta specifies that posts delegitimizing “upcoming” elections are unacceptable, but not past ones. That's because every other thing Trump posts is a lie meant to delegitimize his 2020 loss. I guess @Meta and @facebook are fine with that though.

• @fboversight @fboversight on x

  @OversightBoard This shows how meaningless your work is. You kicked the can and were ultimately ignored. Find new $120k/year jobs.

• @theanthonydavis Anthony Davis on x

  The tragedy of this press release is that it's written by Nick Clegg. A former British Liberal Democrat leader and progressive deputy Prime Minister. A man who should know better than to let a fascist wannabe dictator back onto Facebook 🤦🏼‍♂️ #TrumpFacebook https://about.fb.com/.…

• @jgreenblattadl Jonathan Greenblatt on x

  Since his role in the insurrection on #Jan6th, we have been clear: Former President Trump should not be given a platform to amplify his hateful & violent rhetoric on mainstream social media. Full statement on @Meta's reversal of Trump's ban from Facebook: https://www.adl.org/... …

• @jesselehrich Jesse Lehrich on x

  here's @politico from TODAY on Trump's use of social media to repeatedly unleash racist attacks on Elaine Chao, while warning her husband has a DEATH WISH. now @nickclegg & @Meta are handing him the world's biggest megaphone. https://www.politico.com/... https://twitter.com/...

• @parkermolloy Parker Molloy on x

  Seriously, just outright say that you're letting him back on and you're not planning to ever hold him to the same standards other users are held to. It'd be more honest and then you won't have people going, “He broke the rules!!!” and whatnot.

• @hallamohieddeen Halla Mohieddeen on x

  “Good, bad & ugly” ... what category does election denial and conspiracy theory fall under? https://twitter.com/...

• @evacide Eva on x

  Well, I guess we're going to find out if the Meta Oversight Board actually has teeth. https://twitter.com/...

• @mikeisaac Rat King on x

  Clegg says if Trump breaks the rules again he'll get suspended again anywhere from one month to two years. (unless i am missing something doesnt seem like there's a permaban option on the table) https://www.nytimes.com/...

• @justinhendrix Justin Hendrix on x

  Alot will be said about free speech, policy, precedent, etc. But this decision is, primarily, the decision of one man. It is a reflection of his moral code, and who he is willing to do business with in order to advance his own political and social agenda. That man's name is Mark.…

• @naominixwrites @naominixwrites on x

  One meaningful change here is that Meta is expanding the range of remedies it can deploy to address problematic content from world leaders. It's giving itself the ability to provide politicians with— as some academics have said — free speech but not free reach.

• @donmoyn Don Moynihan on x

  If Meta cared about the ballot box, and democracy, they would not give a platform to the first American President who tried to stop the peaceful transition of power after a free and fair election. https://twitter.com/...

• @oversightboard @oversightboard on x

  Meta has made progress on implementing proportionate penalties across a range of violation severities. The Board welcomes that Meta has followed our recommendations to introduce a crisis policy protocol, & to undertake an assessment on the current security environment.

• @sarafischer Sara Fischer on x

  DETAILS: @AXIOS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH @NICKCLEGG ON TRUMP REINSTATEMENT: 1/ TIMING: His accounts will not be reinstated immediately, Clegg said, because Meta's engineers will need time to build out new functionality to restrict posts if needed in future https://twitter.com/...

• @thatjenmonroe Jen Monroe on x

  Charlie with the sane take https://twitter.com/...

• @juliettekayyem Juliette Kayyem on x

  Whatever one thinks of Facebook's decision, I really enjoy the fact that they defend it based on Trump's decreasing relevance. Whether true or not, does he really want to be part of a social network who is allowing him on because he's a loser? Plus. . . https://twitter.com/...

• @rsbutner Ryan Butner on x

  Trump getting his platform back doesn't mean much in 2023. The GOP was throughly remade in his image, and no longer needs him. Platform or not. If anything, the continued obsession with him feels more like a failure to adapt from his critics than anything else https://twitter.com…

• @bendreyfuss Ben Dreyfuss on x

  @cwarzel i mean...i appreciate the creativity of this comparison but Facebook is actually still super infrastructural and important to probably a majority of Americans, whereas Trump is central to a minority of one political party

• @willcarless Will Carless on x

  Trump was allowed back on Twitter weeks ago. He hasn't tweeted. https://twitter.com/...

• @cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x

  Wrote about Facebook reinstating Trump and my (probably unpopular opinion) is that both the man and the platform have decayed significantly in cultural relevance since we last had this debate https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...

• @danmunro Dan Munro on x

  ... the world *is* moving on ... and away from the “rageposters.” . https://twitter.com/...

• @cherijacobus Cheri Jacobus on x

  “internet-addled aging rageposters” is the name of my new garage band. https://twitter.com/...

• @theatlantic @theatlantic on x

  Many people still support Trump, and many people still use Facebook products, but the shine is gone—and that matters, @cwarzel writes. https://on.theatln.tc/OBAq7mM

• @dlberes Damon Beres on x

  A definitive statement on this news from @cwarzel: Both Facebook and Trump have lost, and I quote, “the juice” https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...

• @ritholtz Barry Ritholtz on x

  $META has lost two-thirds of its value (~$700 billion dollars) since its Sept 2021 peak. Will going full Elon/MAGA help? (It's working so well for Twitter & $TSLA) At least the platform finally added a user... https://www.theatlantic.com/ ... https://twitter.com/...

• @robbysoave Robby Soave on x

  I rarely agree with Charlie but he's mostly right about this. https://twitter.com/...

• @cwarzel Charlie Warzel on x

  trump and facebook are two things that used to be popular but that most people are tired of and whose popularity is kept afloat by internet-addled aging rageposters. they deserve each other but i dunno if any of this matters as much as it did in 2021. https://www.theatlantic.com/…

• @paulbisceglio Paul Bisceglio on x

  “There is something underwhelming—stale, even—about the news.” Smart and clarifying, by @cwarzel: https://www.theatlantic.com/ ...