Former President Donald Trump would most likely have his Facebook ban lifted in 2023 and would be allowed back on the platform just before the 2024 presidential election, according to the company’s top executive, Nick Clegg.
Clegg, the president of Global Affairs at Meta, Facebook’s parent company, while speaking to experts in Washington D.C. discussed if the move should be made.
It was announced in late January that Facebook would ban President Trump, the sitting U.S. President at the time, for “violating community guidelines” Initially, the company announced a temporary ban that would last only until January 2020 until Joe Biden was sworn into office. But the ban has remained in place ever since.
“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete,” Zuckerberg wrote announcing the company’s decision.
“When you make a decision that affects the public realm, you need to act with great caution,” Clegg told Semafor, the news publication hosting the event. “You shouldn’t throw your weight about.”
Facebook wasn’t the only company to ban the then-sitting President from their platform. The entire big-tech monopoly unanimously made a decision after the January 6th Capitol protests to ban the President from their platforms. YouTube, Twitter, Spotify, Google, and Apple Podcasts, among many other U.S.-based tech platforms, made this decision.
YouTube has also hinted at a similar move, suggesting the former president’s ban could be lifted if the platform determines that the “real-world violence and harm” has diminished according to YouTube CEO, Susan Wojcicki. It is unclear what the company means by “real world violence and harm.”
Twitter on the other hand has maintained that the ban on President Trump is permanent. Even President Trump himself has announced previously that he won’t be activating his Twitter account if the company decides to lift the ban. This could change if billionaire Elon Musk is successful with his acquisition of Twitter.
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