Headline RoundupJanuary 8th, 2021

Trump Social Media Accounts Banned 'Indefinitely'

Free Speech, Donald Trump, Facebook, Censorship, Social Media, Technology

Summary from the AllSides News Team

Facebook said Thursday that President Donald Trump's accounts will be banned from the platform and from Instagram "indefinitely," or at least until the end of his term. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a statement, "we believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great." This comes after Twitter, Facebook and Youtube enacted a 24-hour ban on the president's accounts after concerns his posts were spreading false election fraud claims and inciting violence. Twitch and Snapchat have also joined the social media platforms who have banned Trump's accounts 'indefinitely.' Some voices from the left, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., criticized Facebook and other Big Tech companies for not banning Trump sooner. Some voices from the right, including Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, tended to frame Facebook's ban as "censorship" of Trump, also painting the restrictions as a show of tech companies' power and sovereignty over the sharing of ideas and information.

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From the Left

Don't 'censor' Trump, top House Republican says after Facebook locks president's account

Politico

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Politico

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President Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts will be locked through at least Inauguration Day, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Thursday, amid Democratic calls for social media companies to expel him permanently for inciting Wednesday's deadly violence in the Capitol.

But a leading House Republican on tech issues warned against "censoring" the president, saying Trump should instead use his access to tens of millions of followers to "lower the temperature" on social media.

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From the Right

Facebook Bans Trump ‘at Least’ Until He Leaves Office

National Review (News)

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News

Facebook announced Thursday that it is banning President Trump from the platform “indefinitely,” at least until he is out of office.

“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement. “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.”

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From the Left

President Trump blocked from posting to Facebook, Instagram 'indefinitely,' at least through end of term

USA TODAY

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After originally planning to block President Donald Trump from posting to his Facebook and Instagram account for 24 hours, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday that the blocks have been extended "indefinitely."

"We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post Thursday. "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...

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