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January 8, 2021

Social platforms flex their power, lock down Trump accounts

  • Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the risk of allowing Trump to use the platform is too great following the president's incitement of a mob on Wednesday.
    • By DAVID KLEPPER and MATT O'BRIEN
    Associated Press

    After years of treating President Donald Trump's inflammatory rhetoric with a light touch, Facebook and Instagram are silencing his social media accounts for the rest of his presidency. The move, which many called long overdue following Wednesday's deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, is also a reminder of the enormous power that social-media platforms can wield when they choose.

    Facebook and Instagram said Thursday they will bar Trump from posting at least until the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. Twitter said that it's still evaluating whether to lift or extend what started as a 12-hour lockdown of Trump's account.


     
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