Donald Trump slams Facebook amid new two-year ban

Donald Trump has lashed out at Facebook for “censoring” him after the tech giant banned the former US President for another two years.

Donald Trump has slammed Facebook’s decision to ban him for two years, calling it an “insult” to MAGA voters but vowed, “we will win.”

The former US President made the remarks in a scathing statement released just moments after Facebook’s independent oversight committee suspended him from the platform until at least January 7, 2023.

“Facebook’s ruling is an insult to the record-setting 75 million people, plus many others, who voted for us in the 2020 Rigged Presidential Election,” he said.

“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!” he added.

The latest blow to Mr Trump comes after he shut his personal blog last week after just 29 days.

Facebook has banned Donald Trump for two years, saying he deserved the maximum punishment for violating its rules over an attack by his supporters on the US Capitol. Picture: AFP

Mr Trump was first suspended from Facebook in January over concerns that his posts about the riots in Washington, DC were inciting violence.

It was the first time Facebook had blocked a current president, prime minister, or head of state.

Facebook’s oversight board upheld the ban in May, but gave itself six months to determine specifically how long Mr Trump would be black-listed before returning its verdict on Friday local time.

Facebook also announced changes to how it will treat rule-breaking world leaders in the future.

The social media giant said Mr Trump deserved the maximum punishment for violating its rules over a deadly attack by his supporters on the US Capitol in January.

Donald Trump has been banned by Facebook for two more years. Picture: AFP

“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 under the new enforcement protocols,” Facebook vice president of global affairs Nick Clegg said in a post.

Facebook also said it will no longer give politicians blanket immunity for deceptive or abusive content at the social network based on their comments being newsworthy.

After two years, Facebook will examine “whether the risk to public safety has receded” and make a decision about whether the company will allow Mr Trump back on its platforms.

The announcement comes about a month after Facebook’s Oversight Board upheld the company’s initial decision to block Mr Trump from its platforms. The board, however, said an indefinite suspension of Mr Trump’s account was inappropriate and gave Facebook six months to lay out new penalties.

Donald Trump has been banned from Facebook. Picture: AFP

“We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest,” Mr Clegg said in a statement.

“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.

“When the suspension is eventually lifted, there will be a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions that will be triggered if Mr Trump commits further violations in future, up to and including permanent removal of his pages and accounts,” Mr Clegg added.

By the Oversight Board’s own rules, Facebook had 30 days to respond publicly to the ruling, which was announced on May 5.

TRUMP AXES BLOG AFTER 29 DAYS

It comes as Mr Trump shut down his newly launched website earlier in the week.

Mr Trump’s website, “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,” which allowed him to provide his thoughts in Twitter-style posts that could then be shared on social media sites where he had been banned, “will not be returning,” Trump spokesman Jason Miller confirmed.

The site, which was launched in early May, “was just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on,” Mr Miller said.

Mr Trump was reportedly upset by US reports highlighting the site’s small readership alongside concerns that it could detract from a social media platform he wants to launch later this year, so Mr Trump ordered his team to put the blog out of its misery, advisers said.

Donald Trump also axed his personal blog after just 29 days. Picture: AFP

Launched last month with a grand unveiling complete with a movie-style trailer that proclaimed, “In a time of silence and lies, a beacon of freedom arises,” the blog never garnered more than a tiny slice of the spotlight Mr Trump held before he was banned from every major social media site in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

The site was meant to serve as “a place to speak freely and safely”, Team Trump said, also stating that it was working on developing the site further to give the former president the ability to communicate directly with the public.

“Hoping to have more information on the broader efforts soon, but I do not have a precise awareness of timing,” Mr Miller said when asked how to expect the former US President to get his message out.

The former president’s blog was billed as “from the desk of Donald Trump” but even his most hardcore supporters were lukewarm to the message. Picture: Getty Images

Asked on Twitter if the move was a “precursor” to Mr Trump joining “another social media platform,” Miller replied in the affirmative.

“Yes, actually, it is. Stay tuned!”

When Twitter banned Mr Trump, it defended its suspension as “due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”

The company’s continued position that it will not consider allowing him back on its platform, even if he were to return to public office, has rubbed many the wrong way, including some of Mr Trump’s political opponents.

Facebook, meanwhile, ordered an indefinite ban on the president.

In the three months since banning the then-chief executive, Facebook deferred to its Oversight Board to make a final call on letting Trump return to its platforms.

Donald Trump has been banned from all major social media platforms. Picture: AFP

The board announced last month it would be upholding the ban, but said an indefinite suspension of Trump’s account was inappropriate. It gave the company six months to specify new penalties.

The ex-president, along with former first lady Melania Trump, launched their official website in late March.

The site, 45office.com, “will allow individuals to submit correspondence, scheduling requests, and press inquiries,” the former first couple said in a statement at the time.

– with the New York Post