Two years after former President Donald Trump's social media accounts were suspended in the wake of the January 6 Capitol attack, Facebook-parent Meta announced on Wednesday that it was restoring his accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg said the risk to public safety has now subsided, and they can give Trump his accounts back.
"We don't want to get in the way of open, public and democratic debate on Meta's platforms — especially in the context of elections," Clegg said in a statement. "The public should be able to hear what politicians are saying so they can make informed choices."
Going forward, however, Trump's accounts face heightened penalties for repeat offenses in light of the suspension. If he breaks platform rules, he could be suspended for as long as two years at a time depending on the severity of the violation.
Criticism to the former president being allowed back on the social media platforms was swift.
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) tweeted that Trump incited an insurrection and has shown no remorse.
"Giving him back access to a social media platform to spread his lies and demagoguery is dangerous," Schiff wrote. "Facebook caved, giving him a platform to do more harm."
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) called it 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," she tweeted. "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."
NAACP President Derrick Johnson said Meta's decision "is a prime example of putting profits above people's safety" and a "grave mistake."
"It's quite astonishing that one can spew hatred, fuel conspiracies, and incite a violent insurrection at our nation's Capitol building, and Mark Zuckerberg still believes that is not enough to remove someone from his platforms," Johnson told the Associated Press.
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said Trump should not be given a platform to "amplify his hateful and violent rhetoric on mainstream social media."
"There is no reason to believe the former president will behave differently now that the platform has reversed his ban," Greenblatt said in a statement. "This isn't a matter of free speech; there are ample services that Trump can use to spread his message. This is a business decision to platform bigotry and divisiveness to drive clicks and engagement, plain and simple."
At the same time, some supported Meta's decision. The American Civil Liberties Union said Trump has a right to speak out on social media.
"This is the right call," the organization tweeted. "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."
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) also applauded the decision.
"It's great that President Trump will be back on Facebook soon. But he shouldn’t have been banned in the first place," he said on Twitter. "Can't happen again."
Whether or not Trump will actually return to the platforms has yet to be seen. He hasn't tweeted since his Twitter account, which was permanent suspended after Jan. 6, was reinstated in November following Elon Musk's takeover of the company. As of now, his last tweet is from 2021. Same goes for his last Facebook and Instagram posts.
Trump did address his accounts being reinstated on his own social media platform Truth Social, which he established following his removal from Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
"FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since 'deplatforming' your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account," he wrote. "Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!"
Adding to what may be hesitation in returning to the three platforms, Trump is under contractual obligations to post on Truth Social, Fortune reported. According to an SEC filing from May 2022, Trump is obligated to make any social media post on Truth Social and may not make the same post on another social media site for six hours. However, he is allowed to make a post from a personal account related to political messaging, political fundraising or get-out-the-vote efforts on any social media site at any time.
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