‘Never again’: Donald Trump fires back after Meta lifts Facebook, Instagram ban

Donald Trump has blasted Meta after it announced his Facebook and Instagram accounts would be reinstated after a two-year ban.

Former US president Donald Trump has delivered a fiery response to Meta’s announcement it would lift his two-year Facebook and Instagram ban.

Mr Trump said no future leader should be unfairly blocked from posting on social media after Meta said it would resinate his accounts with “new guardrails”.

“FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since ‘deplatforming’ your favourite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account,” Mr Trump posted on his Truth Social website.

Former US President Donald Trump has hit back at Meta. Picture: AFP

“Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!”

Meta earlier announced that it will reinstate Mr Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram, with “new guardrails”.

The accounts have been banned since the US Capitol riot in January 2021.

“We will be reinstating Mr Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks,” said a statement by Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs and a former British Deputy PM, adding that the reinstatement would come with “new guardrails in place to deter repeat offences.”

Former US president Donald Trump has had his Facebook and Instagram accounts reinstated. Picture: AFP

“Like any other Facebook or Instagram user, Mr Trump is subject to our community standards,” Mr Clegg wrote.

“In the event that Mr Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation.”

Meta said it may decrease the reach of some Trump posts if they aim to delegitimise the upcoming election or relate to the conspiracy group QAnon, Bloomberg reports.

“This step would mean that content would remain visible on Mr Trump’s account but would not be distributed in people’s feeds, even if they follow Mr Trump,” the company’s blog post reads.

With his accounts reactivated, Mr Trump will gain access to huge and powerful communications and fundraising platforms as he ramps up his third bid for the White House.

Donald Trump is ramping up his White House campaign. Picture: AFP

It is not clear if Mr Trump will begin posting again on the platform, but his campaign indicated he had a desire to return in a letter sent to Meta in January.

“We believe that the ban on President Trump’s account on Facebook has dramatically distorted and inhibited the public discourse,” the letter said.

Twitter restored Mr Trump’s account in November following its takeover by billionaire Elon Musk, but Mr Trump has not yet resumed tweeting, opting remain on his own social media platform, Truth Social.

Rolling Stone reported earlier this week that Mr Trump was set to dump his Truth Social account, which is set to expire in June.

Mr Trump’s accounts were shut down on January. 6, 2021, after the company deemed that some of his posts were encouraging his supporters to violently riot at the US Capitol.

The temporary ban was changed to an “indefinite” suspension the following day.