Facebook’s oversight board hs decided to uphold the ban on Trump, leading many conservatives to decry the social media company for political censorship.
It is impossible to imagine Facebook doing the same to any Democrat. It just wouldn’t happen.
The ban is supposedly open-ended, meaning it could be revisited in the future.
News Busters reports:
Trump SILENCED! Oversight Board Reaches Decision, Bans Trump from Facebook — for Now
In a massive blow to free speech online, the Facebook Oversight Board decided to uphold the platform’s ban of former President Donald Trump. But with limits.
The Board “upheld” Facebook’s decision to ban Trump after more than three months of deliberation. The decision further solidified the Board’s role in strengthening Facebook’s censorship power. But it insisted that Facebook review the decision within six months.
The Board’s decision in this case clearly attempted to pander to both sides. It argued that the suspension was both fair and not fair:
“The Board has upheld Facebook’s decision on January 7, 2021, to restrict then-President Donald Trump’s access to posting content on his Facebook page and Instagram account.
“However, it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension. Facebook’s normal penalties include removing the violating content, imposing a time-bound period of suspension, or permanently disabling the page and account.
“The Board insists that Facebook review this matter to determine and justify a proportionate response that is consistent with the rules that are applied to other users of its platform. Facebook must complete its review of this matter within six months of the date of this decision. The Board also made policy recommendations for Facebook to implement in developing clear, necessary, and proportionate policies that promote public safety and respect freedom of expression.”
Trump has offered a response.
From his website:
What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country. Free Speech has been taken away from the President of the United States because the Radical Left Lunatics are afraid of the truth, but the truth will come out anyway, bigger and stronger than ever before. The People of our Country will not stand for it! These corrupt social media companies must pay a political price, and must never again be allowed to destroy and decimate our Electoral Process.
The left is terrified that Trump is going to run again.
That’s what this is all really about.