Facebook suspends Trump for two years, tightens the screws on politicians
Facebook suspended Donald Trump for two years, and announced that politicians would no longer benefit from preferential treatment when they violate the rules of the social network, measures deemed insufficient on the left, liberticides on the right.
The former President of the United States will only be able to return when the "risks to the safety of the public have disappeared," said the platform, which had temporarily excluded him on January 7 for having encouraged his supporters during the attack on Capitol Hill in Washington the day before, an unprecedented decision.
The ban was imposed under a new bespoke rule, created by the California group in response to the events of January 6, also announced on Friday.
It provides for sanctions ranging from one month to two years of suspension for public figures in the event of unrest and violence, according to a statement. Repeat offenders can be permanently banned.
More than six months after his defeat at the polls, Donald Trump continues to give headaches to the social media giant, torn between concern to respect freedom of expression and the moral and economic necessity of cleaning up exchanges between his two, 85 billion monthly users.
Facebook had tried to ask its young supervisory board to assess the appropriateness of the indefinite exclusion of Donald Trump, but the body returned the ball to its court in early May.
"Facebook's decision is an insult to the 75 million people, and many others, who voted for us in the fraudulent presidential election of 2020," reacted in a statement the former head of state, ostracized by most of the major platforms since the riots that killed several people and shocked the country.
No more "dinners"
"The next time I'm at the White House, there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg (the boss of Facebook, Editor's note) and his wife. We’ll only talk about business! He threatened.
Above all, the council called on the network to clarify its "arbitrary" rules: "The same rules should apply to all users," insisted its international and independent members.
Whose act: Facebook has just ended the controversial immunity enjoyed by elected officials and candidates who break its rules, in the name of "the public's interest in learning."
"When we rate content for newsworthiness, we won't treat politicians' words any differently from others," said Nick Clegg, the firm's director of public affairs.
“Donald Trump has shown how a political leader can use social media to undermine democratic institutions, such as elections and the peaceful transfer of power,” said Paul Barrett, professor of law at New York University.
"Facebook is right to change its tactics and apply its rules against harmful behavior to policies."
But many NGOs consider that the network has for too long amplified the inflammatory remarks of the Republican billionaire, and should exclude him for good, like Twitter.
"Cauldron of extremism"
If he returned, the platform "would remain a cauldron of extremism, disinformation and violence," said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America.
Mark Zuckerberg has long refused to play the role of "arbiter of online truth."
A position that has become untenable with Donald Trump, quick to minimize the seriousness of the pandemic or to denounce, without proof, alleged electoral fraud. All these words add fuel to the fire in a country that is already very divided.
The invasion of Congress, which killed several people, was a turning point. “We love you,” the former White House tenant said in a video during the assault.
But Facebook had not returned to its list of politicians exempted from certain sanctions, so that the public could form their own opinion on them.
This preferential treatment drew a lot of criticism, including internally.
The platform and its neighbors, like Twitter, have tightened their moderation of content, with a lot of reports backed up by problematic messages.
But Democrats still blame them for their ineffectiveness in containing disinformation, while Republicans accuse them of censorship.
Facebook, for its part, calls on Parliament to assume its responsibilities.
“American democracy does not belong to Silicon Valley,” Nick Clegg said Friday in an interview with the Brookings Institution. "We keep saying it would be much better in the long run for elected officials and regulators to make these decisions, rather than for us to set up our own supervisory board."
