Facebook Oversight Board Delays Ruling on Donald Trump

People anticipating the ruling from Facebook’s independent content oversight board on its most high-profile case by far—whether or not to allow former President Donald Trump to return to Facebook and Instagram—will have to keep anticipating for a bit longer. The oversight board said in a tweet last week that its decision will be revealed in the coming weeks, adding that it has received over 9,000 public comments on the case, and it extended the deadline for those. The board wrote, “The board’s commitment to carefully reviewing all comments has extended the case timeline, in line with the board’s bylaws. We will share more information soon.” https://twitter.com/OversightBoard/status/1383058573949829121 An advisory confirming the time and date when the decision will be revealed will be issued 48 hours beforehand, the board said in an email. When the board introduced the two posts by Trump that spurred Facebook’s action in late January, it wrote, “On Jan. 6, 2021, Congress was gathered at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. Earlier that day, then-U.S. President Donald Trump attended a rally near the White House in Washington, D.C., where he spoke of the need to ‘fight like hell’ and stated, ‘We’re going to the Capitol.’ Many of those attending the rally then marched on the U.S. Capitol building. In the ensuing riots, which led to five deaths, two pieces of content were posted on President Trump’s Facebook page, which has 35 million followers. The first of these was also posted on his Instagram account, which has 24 million followers.” The first post was a one-minute video posted to the two platforms by Trump while rioters were still in the building and backup law enforcement was responding. He said, “I know your pain, I know you’re hurt. We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election and everyone knows it, especially the other side. But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt. It’s a very tough period of time. There’s never been a time like this where such a thing happened, where they could take it away from all of us—from me, from you, from our country. This was a fraudulent election, but we can’t play into the hands of these people. We have to have peace. So, go home. We love you. You’re very special. You’ve seen what happens. You see the way others are treated that are so bad and so evil. I know how you feel. But go home and go home in peace.” The second post on Facebook later that day, as the Capitol was being secured, read, “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously and viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly and unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love and in peace. Remember this day forever!” Both posts were removed for violations of Facebook’s community standard on dangerous individuals and organizations, and the company said in its referral of the case to the oversight board that its decision was made in extraordinary circumstances.

Politics

Facebook Oversight Board Delays Ruling on Donald Trump

48 hours’ notice will be given prior to issuing its decision

David Cohen

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David Cohen