Facebook Imposes Indefinite Ban on Trump Over Capitol Riot Response
Facebook bans President Donald Trump from its platform and Instagram indefinitely, citing his refusal to condemn the violent Capitol rioters. CEO Mark Zuckerberg states the company believes the risks of allowing Trump to continue using the service are too great.
Facebook bans President Donald Trump from its platform and Instagram indefinitely, extending at least through the final two weeks of his presidency. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces the decision, explaining that Trump's refusal to condemn the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol shows he intends to undermine the peaceful transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden.
The social media giant takes this action after Trump posts a video telling the rioters to go home while simultaneously repeating false claims about winning the election. Zuckerberg notes that Trump's choice to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters disturbs people in the US and around the world.
Other tech companies also respond to the unprecedented situation, though with varying levels of enforcement. Twitter does not ban Trump entirely but removes his problematic tweets and temporarily locks his account, while YouTube announces a stricter strike policy for channels that post election disinformation or violate platform policies.