Has Facebook restored Trump's account? POTUS page shows him designated as 'political candidate'
Since the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021, President Donald Trump didn't only make history by being the first US President to be impeached twice but also got banned from social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. On January 7, 2021, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took to Facebook to post the following: "The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden. His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world." He had also added, "We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete."
But now, reports are claiming that the president has got his account back.
Websites such as RT and WIFR have already started reporting that Trump's official accounts have made an appearance back on Instagram and Facebook "late on Friday." There has been no statements from the social media giant and there has been no activity on either of the accounts since. There have also been no reports as to whether the president is controlling those accounts again. The Gateway Pundit reported that the restored account has been designated 'political candidate' rather than 'US president'.
The last post on the Instagram page is about the Save America Rally and the last post on the Facebook profile reads, "I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!" - both posted on January 6, 2021. The restoration is being considered odd thing since it was "quietly" done and Zuckerberg had made it clear by saying "until the peaceful transition of power is complete" Trump's account could make it back after Biden's January 20, 2021 Inauguration Day.
There were mixed reactions as to whether banning the president from social media platforms was a good or bad thing - most focused on censorship. "I'm no fan of Trump but make no mistake, Facebook/Twitter are no better than China with it's censorship and are starting to ban/block others simply because they disagree with their viewpoints!," wrote one user. Others commented on the recent comeback of the president's account, while also slamming the tech giants. "TRUMP IS BACK! Facebook and Instagram have unblocked Donald Trump's account with just a few days left of his presidency. Change of heart? Or the fact that Facebook lost BILLIONS in market cap since Trump's ban?," the user wrote.
I'm no fan of Trump but make no mistake, Facebook/Twitter are no better than China with it's censorship and are starting to ban/block others simply because they disagree with their viewpoints!https://t.co/tbRKNcPFvj#BigTechTyrants #Bigtechcensorship #YouCantStopTheSignal https://t.co/woXKJY9aNO
— Buddy Rikard (@TpyoKnig) January 16, 2021
⚡️TRUMP IS BACK!
— Sara Enini (@SanCatherina) January 16, 2021
Facebook and Instagram have unblocked Donald Trump's account with just a few days left of his presidency.
Change of heart? Or the fact that Facebook lost BILLIONS in market cap since Trump's ban?
Since no activity has been seen from the accounts yet, it's unclear when the president will be back online soon. The president was booted from all major social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook, in the aftermath of the Capitol Hill riots.
MEAWW has not been able to verify the facts in the story