Facebook suspends Trump accounts for 2 years

Global social media giant Facebook has suspended former US President Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts for two years.

He was barred indefinitely from both sites in January in the wake of posts he made on the US Capitol riots_ but last month Facebook's Oversight

Board criticised the open-ended penalty.

Facebook said Mr Trump's actions were "a severe violation of our rules".

Mr Trump said the move was "an insult" to the millions who voted for him in last year's presidential election.

Facebook's move comes as the social media giant is also ending a policy shielding politicians from some content moderation rules.

It said that it would no longer give politicians immunity for deceptive or abusive content based on their comments being newsworthy.

Mr Trump's ban was effective from the date of the initial suspension on 7 January_ Facebook's vice-president of global affairs Nick Clegg said in a

post.

"Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr Trump's suspension_ we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which

merit the highest penalty available_" it added.

"If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety_ we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate

until that risk has receded."

On his return_ Mr Trump will be held to "a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions_" for any violations_ Mr Clegg's statement noted.

How has Mr Trump responded?
In a statement issued from his Save America political action committee_ Mr Trump said: "Facebook's ruling is an insult to the record-setting 75m

people_ plus many others_ who voted for us..."

"They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing_ and ultimately_ we will win. Our country can't take this abuse anymore!"

In a second statement on the two-year ban_ Mr Trump attacked Facebook's founder.

"Next time I'm in the White House there will be no more dinners_ at his request_ with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife_" the former president said. "It

will be all business!"

The move by Facebook allows Mr Trump to return to the platform before the 2024 presidential election.

It also comes as he prepares to again hold the large scale in-person rallies that were a signature of his campaigns and presidency. One of his first is

planned for Dallas_ Texas_ in early July_ according to local media.

Earlier this week_ it emerged that the communications platform set up by Mr Trump in the wake of his social media bans - From the Desk of Donald J

Trump - has been permanently shut down.

In addition to Facebook_ which has over two billion monthly users_ Mr Trump has also been banned from Twitter_ YouTube_ Snapchat_ Twitch and

other social media platforms over the January riot.

Last month_ Florida Governor Ron DeSantis_ a Republican Trump ally_ signed the first law in the US that punishes tech companies for