Facebook Still Banning Trump For Now Despite Campaign

Former President Donald Trump greets people after announcing he is running for president for the third time as he speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. Son Barron Trump watches. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Donald Trump may be running for president, but he still cant use Facebook.

The social media platform has no plans to reinstate Trumps account following the former presidents announcement on Tuesday that he will seek a second term in the White House, the company confirmed Wednesday. Trump was kicked off Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Trump may not have to wait long to get back on the site, however. His suspension from Facebook is set to be reconsidered in January, two years after it was first imposed.

One change will be immediate: As a candidate, Trump will no longer be subject to Facebook fact checks. Thats because under Facebook rules, comments by elected officials and candidates for office arent subject to fact checks on its site. The AP participates in Facebooks independent fact checking program.

Throughout his tenure as president, Trumps use of social media posed a significant challenge to major social media platforms trying to balance the publics need to hear from their elected leaders with worries about misinformation, harassment and incitement of violence.

Following the Jan. 6 riot, Trump was also kicked off Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook parent company Meta. Trumps ability to post videos to his YouTube channel was suspended.

YouTube spokeswoman Ivy Choi said Wednesday the company had no plans to lift the suspension.

Twitters new owner, Elon Musk, has said he disagreed with the platforms decision to bar Trump following the Jan. 6 attack. Musk said no announcement about reinstating banned users will be made until a content moderation council has reviewed the issue

Twitter did not respond to questions about whether Trumps candidacy will impact the decision. Since his suspension, Trump has started his own social media platform, TruthSocial, and said he has no plans to rejoin Twitter if allowed.

Facebook initially placed a 24-hour suspension on Trumps account on Jan. 6 after he praised the rioters who stormed the Capitol. Facebook creator and CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced an indefinite suspension on Jan. 7, adding that the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.

The companys quasi-independent oversight board upheld the ban but directed Facebook to set a time limit. The ban is now set to expire Jan. 7, 2023.

(AP)

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