Meta, which is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reversed an earlier decision to ban then-President Donald Trump from both platforms following the riot at the U.S. Capitol Building.
A Meta spokesperson has confirmed to Fox News that the tech giant will lift the bans on Trump’s Meta accounts that have been in place since January 2021. The company said the restrictions will be lifted “in the coming weeks.”
The company’s reversal came after officials reassessed their “responsibility to allow political expression.”
Fox added that the tech giant noted that, as part of a newly updated policy, there would be “heightened penalties for repeat offenses,” like Trump.
If Trump breaches the community guidelines again, Meta stated that it would delete the offending posts and could suspend him for one month to two years, depending on the severity of the violation.
After the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, Meta banned Trump’s social media accounts, citing his praise for individuals involved in the violence. The controversial decision marked the first instance of a sitting president being barred from Facebook, sparking widespread criticism from various political quarters.
After being banned, Trump established Truth Social, a platform operated by Trump Media & Technology Group. Additionally, his campaign launched accounts on X and TikTok, with the TikTok account rapidly gaining 7.6 million followers.
It’s not clear if Trump will utilize the opportunity to jump back on the popular platforms.