Wednesday, Facebook’s independent Oversight Board upheld the ban for former President Donald Trump but told the social media company to “rethink” the indefinite suspension that was put in place after the January 6 fascist riot at the U.S. Capitol.
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.
In response, Facebook’s VP of global affairs and communications Nick Clegg said the platform “will now consider the board’s decision and determine an action that is clear and proportionate. In the meantime, Mr. Trump’s accounts remain suspended.”
Additionally, the Board recommended that the social media giant “publicly explain the rules that it uses when it imposes account-level sanctions against influential users.” This includes Facebook reviewing any suspension and/or ban that was enacted due to immediate threats to the public and whether the dangers due to said social media activity still exists. Furthermore, if Facebook finds that if the user continues to pose a threat that a “time-bound suspension” should be imposed.
Facebook served as Donald Trump’s biggest fundraising mechanism while Twitter was by far his favorite platform for immediate reaction and playing to his base.
Speaking of Twitter, that platform has shown no indication that they’ll review Trump’s ban which like Facebook was initiated after the events on January 6.
When it comes to a left response to Trump ban and censorship in general, we weighed in on the subject back on January 9 which you can read below:
For right-wing chuds, private property is great, until it isn’t
I think there’s a very fine line the left needs to walk when it comes to these bans. If Jack and Mark Zuckerberg can pull the plug on Donald Trump’s social media accounts in a moment’s instant then there’s certainly no reason to believe that we could eventually see an outright ban on leftist accounts speaking out against capitalist hegemony. This is also much different than anti-fascists engaging neo-fascists on community streets. In those situations, the anti-fascists have the ability to directly engage fascists trying to infiltrate and spread their influence within their community. In essence, the community retains control of its own streets.
When it comes to the social media purge though of fascist accounts associated with MAGA and QAnon, what’s incredibly ironic is the individuals behind these pages are victims of a system they advocate for. To them, the very essence of private property is great, until it isn’t. Not that they actually know the difference between private property and personal property, to them it’s all the same but I digress. But what we’ve seen happen within the past 24 to 48 hours with MAGA Twitter and social media is far-right chuds getting a lesson based on capitalism and actual private property.
