Meta has lifted the final restrictions on Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts as the US presidential elections approach in November.

Trump’s accounts were suspended in 2021 after he praised his supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6. Although his accounts were reinstated in 2023, they were under additional monitoring until now.

Meta stated that it is important for political expression to be allowed and that Americans should hear from presidential nominees equally.

Trump’s accounts have over 60 million followers combined and have been mostly posting campaign updates and memes, including criticisms of his rival Joe Biden.

Trump was banned from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube after the Capitol riots, which resulted in five deaths and injuries to over 100 police officers.

He was accused of inciting violence and spreading false information. These bans were lifted last year, but Trump now primarily uses his own platform, Truth Social, before sharing on other networks.

He returned to Twitter, now called X, after Elon Musk held a poll where users voted to reinstate his account.

This move by Meta is seen as part of their responsibility to ensure political speech is available, with the company emphasizing that all users, including presidential candidates, must follow the same rules to prevent hate speech and violence. (BBC)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ngj2x5638o

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