Former President Donald Trump Reinstated At Facebook, Instagram

Donald Trump (Photo: Evan E-Amin / Shutterstock.com)

Former President DONALD TRUMP is being allowed back on META's FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM social media apps after a two-year suspension. 

META President For Global Affairs NICK CLEGG, a former U.K. deputy prime minister said TRUMP's accounts -- suspended in the wake of the JANUARY 6th, 2021, demonstration at the CAPITOL building in WASHINGTON, DC -- would be reinstated but added, "new guard rails" would be put into place "to deter repeat offenses."

Said CLEGG in a statement posted on META's website, “Social media is rooted in the belief that open debate and the free flow of ideas are important values. As a general rule, 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 in democratic societies like the UNITED STATES.”

The decision comes after the 76-year-old REPUBLICAN's 2024 campaign petitioned META to unlock his accounts and let TRUMP post directly to his 34 million followers on FACEBOOK and 25 million followers on INSTAGRAM.

META had initially suspended TRUMP “indefinitely” and then referred his status to its “Oversight Board,” a so-called “expert body established to be an independent check.” The Board upheld the decision to suspend him but said his punishment should have a timeline. That decision led to an announcement he would be barred for at least two years.

CLEGG said META had based its decision to reinstate the ex-President on several factors, including the smooth conduct of last year’s midterm elections and expert assessments that “the serious risk to public safety that existed in JANUIARY 2021 has sufficiently receded.

“The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying – the good, the bad and the ugly – so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box. But that does not mean there are no limits to what people can say on our platform.”

Under the terms of his reinstatement, TRUMP is subject to suspensions of between one month and two years if he posts content violating META’s community standards.

TRUMP was reinstated to TWITTER last NOVEMBER when ELON MUSK let him back on the app, but he has so far not returned.  TRUMP set up his own social network, TRUTH SOCIAL, when he was banned from TWITTER at the same time.

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