Meta Removes “Heightened Suspension Penalties” From Donald Trump’s Facebook And Instagram Accounts

Donald Trump will not face extra penalties for violations on his Facebook and Instagram accounts, as parent company Meta looks to have the same set of rules for presidential candidates.

“In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” the company said in a statement today. “As a result, former President Trump, as the nominee of the Republican Party, will no longer be subject to the heightened suspension penalties. In reaching this conclusion, we also considered that these penalties were a response to extreme and extraordinary circumstances, and have not had to be deployed.”

Trump’s accounts had been suspended from Facebook and Instagram following his praise for those involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. The Facebook Oversight Board upheld the decision, but was critical of the open-ended nature of the suspension. Meta then put a two-year timeline on the restrictions. The accounts were reinstated early last year, but Trump still was subjected to heightened penalties. For example, if he posted content that violated community standards, he could have faced suspensions “between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation.” That did not happen.