Facebook Oversight Board Co-Chair On Determining The Future Of Trump’s Accounts

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Facebook’s oversight board is considering what to do about Donald Trump’s accounts.

Jeff Chiu/AP

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Jeff Chiu/AP

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Facebook Asks Oversight Board Whether Trump’s Account Should Be Restored Now

In weighing the suspension of the former president’s accounts on both Facebook and Instagram — which the company also owns — the board would also consider, Greene said, international rights law «that has standards for when and how freedom of expression can be regulated.»

«Facebook has committed to acting consistent with those standards, and so the board is set up to try to apply those international human rights norms to the behavior of the company,» Greene added.

Facebook put the indefinite suspension on Trump’s accounts following an initial 24-hour block shortly after the insurrection. In announcing the minimum two-week indefinite suspension on Jan. 7, Zuckerberg said the «risks» of continuing to allow Trump access to the company’s platforms were «simply too great.»

The next day, Twitter said it was permanently banning Trump’s account.

Earlier this week, Facebook’s vice president for global affairs and communications defended the suspension to NPR.

«We believe we took the right decision. We think it was entirely justified by the unprecedented circumstances on that day,» Nick Clegg told NPR’s All Things Considered on Thursday.

Greene notes the board doesn’t preemptively make the decisions — such as Trump’s suspension — for Facebook. Instead, it mainly reviews decisions already made by the company about removing content and determines whether to allow the content back on the platform.

Greene also notes this case will provide policy advice and obligations for how the company handles the accounts of politicians in the future — a reoccurring criticism for the company and its CEO.

«This is something that has been a challenge for the company and for other platforms in the past, given that political leaders are very differently situated than ordinary citizens,» Greene said.

The board was formed last year to weigh the most difficult decisions over what Facebook allows users to post. It began accepting cases in October but has yet to issue a ruling.

Editor’s note: Facebook is among NPR’s financial supporters.

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