New York: Former US President Donald Trump was finally back on Facebook after his personal account was reinstated by the social media giant after more than a two-year ban. Trump who is running for President for the third time posted "I'M BACK!" as soon as his account was restored.
"We carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence, while balancing the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election," Facebook parent Meta wrote. Facebook was a crucial source of fundraising revenue during Trump's previous campaigns.
Trump also shared an old video clip on Facebook where he said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Complicated business." He posted the same clip on YouTube as well which also announced the reinstatement of his account on Friday. YouTube tweeted on Friday, "Starting today, the Donald J. Trump channel is no longer restricted and can upload new content."
Trump's Twitter account was reinstated by the microblogging site last year when its new boss Elon Musk took over. However, the former President has so far stayed away from tweeting. He has created a new alternative for himself called Truth Social which he launched soon after the suspension, where he has been posting frequently.
Earlier, in January, Meta announced that it would be restoring the former President's account. "The public should be able to hear what their politicians are saying — the good, the bad and the ugly — so that they can make informed choices at the ballot box," Nick Clegg, Meta's vice president of global affairs, wrote. Meta also announced that it would be adding new "new guardrails" to check repeat offenders.
Trump's social media accounts were banned following the January 6 insurrection when Trump supporters stormed US Capitol Hill to prevent a peaceful transition of power to the Democrats. Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts were restored only on February 9 this year.
