Facebook's Oversight Board is currently reviewing former President Trump's appeal to revoke his suspension from the platform, to which he could possibly make a return as early as May.
Former President Trump's Facebook account may go back online in May if the company's Oversight Board makes an early decision. The much awaited return to social media by the former president will be determined by the board, which USA Today confirmed, "a user statement has been received in the case before the Oversight Board concerning President Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts."
According to Newsweek, Facebook's Oversight Board chair Helle Thorning-Schmidt said on Tuesday that "The case is a textbook example of why the board was created because many people are interested in it and it's 'very principled.''' The board has only 90 days to resolve a case, which means that former President Trump's Facebook account may return as early as May. The report also revealed that thousands of people will have the chance to vote on whether his indefinite suspension from the social media platform should be lifted.
In January, Big Tech companies censored former President Trump and shut down his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts, a suspension that was as a result of the attack at Capitol Hill, which Democrats and the left accused the former president for perpetuating. The silencing of the former president on social media came about despite him calling for peace.
On January 8, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey released a statement announcing the permanent ban of former President Trump from the platform because of "the risk of further incitement of violence" following the attack at Capitol Hill. Former President Trump, who was impeached for the second time for alleged incitement of insurrection, was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on February 13.
Following the attack at Capitol Hill, for which former President Trump was also widely and unjustly blamed, Facebook blocked the Republican candidate's account "indefinitely." Facebook's statement read that the "risks" of allowing him to use the platform during his remaining time as president were "simply too great." Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg also blamed him for using the platform "to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world." Zuckerberg admitted to removing former President Trump's statements because they decided that "their effect-and likely their intent-would be to provoke further violence."
Big Tech has since then been criticized to be controlled by or aligned with the left, who aim to silence former President Trump. The fight for his freedom of speech is not over, however, as the Facebook Oversight Board is looking to wrap up the case "a little bit faster." Furthermore, The Blaze reported that the Oversight Board has already received thousands of public comments that will be used in consideration for the lifting of former President Trump's Facebook ban.
The decision to reactivate former President Trump's Facebook account will be decided on by the Oversight Board alone and its decision will be binding, independent of any oversight by Zuckerberg or other Facebook executives.
