Facebook will extend the ban on United States President Donald Trump’s account on Facebook and Instagram “indefinitely,” and for at least until the next two weeks, the company has announced.
“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.
Multiple social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Snapchat had taken action against Trump’s account after Trump supporters stormed US Capitol Hill.
Also read:
Dozens of pro-Trump protestors had swarmed the US Capitol on Wednesday, disrupting a session to certify the results of the US Presidential elections and calling on lawmakers to undo Trump’s loss, as per media reports.
Facebook and Instagram had locked the account for 24 hours while Twitter had locked his account for 12 hours. The announcements had come shortly after the platforms took down multiple posts from Trump’s account, including a video where he had called on protestors to “go home” but had still maintained that “we had an election that was stolen from us,” The Verge reported.
According to Zuckerberg, following the certification of the election results by Congress, the focus will now be on a “peaceful” transition. Facebook’s ban on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts will now last at least until inauguration day.
Twitter meanwhile has lifted its ban on Trump’s account following which he tweeted a video from the account.
“Now that Congress has certified the results, a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th,” he said in the video. “My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power.”