Facebook’s Oversight Board will soon decide if Trump will remain banned on the platform

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Update 5/6/2021 9:03 AM EDT: The Oversight Board has announced that it 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.” More here.

Facebook’s Oversight Board has been weighing in heavily on the removal of Donald Trump and whether or not he will be allowed back on the platform. He was first removed in January after people charged Capitol Hill.

The ban came after Trump messaging that somewhat condemned the rioters, while still calling them “very special,” going as far as to say he “loved” them. Trump had been on thin ice on sites like Facebook and Twitter for months, with posts being flagged and removed left and right.

The Oversight Board acts as a body of people that looks to defend free speech while also working with Facebook to address policies on the platform. Most recently, the Board encouraged Facebook to tweak its COVID-19 policies, but surprisingly, Facebook rejected six of the 17 recommendations.

Facebook requested the Oversight Board to look into the issue of Trump in late January and now a decision has been made, with it being made public tomorrow, May 5.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this. Jack Dorsey, founder and CEO of Twitter, has come out recently to say that Twitter’s Trump ban was a good thing, but that it could be a slippery slope.

With Facebook’s image continuing to be dragged down, this decision will definitely come with its own set of critiques, from both conservatives and liberals.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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