Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced that it was ending its two-year suspension of accounts held by former President Donald Trump. According to The Hill, the suspension will be lifted in the coming weeks.
Nick Clegg, Meta President for Global Affairs, told Fox News’ “Special Report” with Bret Baier Wednesday that there will be guardrails in place if Trump decides to use those platforms again.
“He’s gotta play by the rules,” said Clegg. “We are announcing some additional ones today to encourage him to stick to the rules that exist when people use Facebook and Instagram.”
Trump was suspended in the wake of the Jan 6th riots at the U.S. Capitol. The mainstream media and Big Tech alleged the events of that fateful day amounted to an insurrection. His Twitter account was reinstated in November when Elon Musk completed the purchase of the company.
“At the end of the day we believe that the American people should hear from and including on our apps and services, from those who want to lead them. Trump is the former president of this country and vying to be the next president in 2024. We don’t want to stand in the way.”
Clegg said it’s up to Trump whether he wants to use Facebook and Instagram. Last October, Trump launched Truth Social in response to his ban from Big Tech. According to Reuters, Trump has 34 million followers on Facebook and 23 million on Instagram.
“We are not a political entity,” Clegg added. “We don’t try to make decisions which kind of help one side or the other. We believe in free and open debate. We are trying to strike the right balance between free expression, free and open political debate, while also at the same time making sure for all the users that use Facebook and Instagram. It’s an enjoyable experience.”
If Trump agrees to return to the platforms but violates community standards, the social media outlet will remove his content, and he will be suspended for between one month and two years.
