Meta lifts Trump’s remaining account guardrails

Meta said Friday that it has removed additional guardrails on former President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the run-up to the 2024 election. 

“With the party conventions taking place shortly, including the Republican convention next week, the candidates for President of the United States will soon be formally nominated,” Meta wrote in an update.  

“In assessing our responsibility to allow political expression, we believe that the American people should be able to hear from the nominees for President on the same basis,” it continued. 

Trump, who was suspended from Meta platforms following the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, had his accounts reinstated in January 2023 with heightened penalties for repeat offenses. 

Meta said Friday that the former president’s accounts will no longer be subject to these additional penalties, noting that they were in response to “extreme and extraordinary circumstances” and “have not had to be deployed.” 

“All US Presidential candidates remain subject to the same Community Standards as all Facebook and Instagram users, including those policies designed to prevent hate speech and incitement to violence,” the social company added. 

The parent company of Facebook and Instagram also adjusted its general protocol for restricting accounts of public figures during civil unrest. 

Meta will now periodically review whether heightened suspension penalties remain appropriate in order to “ensure people can hear from political candidates on our platforms,” it said.