By Salim Yunusa
In a dramatic twist of events, Facebook Inc.’s independent Oversight Board, on Wednesday, has upheld the suspension ot former President Donald Trump to rejoin the world’s largest social network, a decision with deep consequences for Trump, the company and the U.S. political conversation.
This decision comes as social media platforms are under pressure to police false or inflammatory content on their sites while being accused of favoring liberal views and punishing conservatives.
Statement released on Wednesday afternoon said, “The Board 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.
However, it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose the indeterminate and standardless penalty of indefinite suspension. Facebook’s normal penalties include removing the violating content, imposing a time-bound period of suspension, or permanently disabling the page and account.
The Board insists that Facebook review this matter to determine and justify a proportionate response that is consistent with the rules that are applied to other users of its platform. Facebook must complete its review of this matter within six months of the date of this decision. The Board also made policy recommendations for Facebook to implement in developing clear, necessary, and proportionate policies that promote public safety and respect freedom of expression.”
