Meta to restore Trump's Facebook, Instagram accounts

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Facebook parent Meta (META) is restoring the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former President Donald Trump. According to Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, Trump’s suspension will be lifted in the coming weeks.

Trump was initially suspended from Meta’s services in the immediate wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol when his supporters violently rioted outside the building before breaking in to attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 election.

FILE - Former President Donald Trump speaks as he announces a third run for president, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. A special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies illegally tried to overturn his defeat in the 2020 election in Georgia appears to be wrapping up its work, but many questions remain. The investigation is one of several that could result in criminal charges against the former president as he asks voters to return him to the White House in 2024. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
FFormer President Donald Trump speaks as he announces a third run for president, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

According to Clegg, Trump will face strict restrictions if he violates Meta's terms of service.

"In light of his violations, he now also faces heightened penalties for repeat offenses – penalties which will apply to other public figures whose accounts are reinstated from suspensions related to civil unrest under our updated protocol," he said.

"In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation."

Trump could also face repercussions for sharing content that seeks to delegitimize the 2024 election or is related to organizations such as QAnon.

The decision to reinstate Trump's account comes two years after his initial suspension. Like Meta, Twitter has also reinstated Trump's account, though he has yet to post on the platform, instead leaning on his own Truth Social service.

Trump is seeking a second term in office in the 2024 election.

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