Awaiting the Call: Facebook Orders Ruling on Prohibited Access

Facebook’s Oversight Board will decide the fate of Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts on May 5, 2021. After Trump was indefinitely suspended from both platforms, the Oversight Board was called in to make a final decision.

The Oversight Board Rules on Trump’s Accounts

Facebook’s Oversight Board sent out a Tweet stating that it will officially announce its decision on Trump’s ban on May 5 at 9am EST. Upon release, the ruling will be viewable from the Oversight Board’s website .

Facebook and Instagram initially suspended Trump’s account in January 2021, alleging that Trump incited violence amidst the Capitol protests.Facebook has since referred the case to its Oversight Board , a diverse team of experts who will objectively decide whether Trump should be permanently removed.

The decision made by the Oversight Board will be binding, meaning that not even Mark Zuckerberg can overturn it.The Board’s ruling on Trump’s accounts was delayed in April, as it needed more time to go through the 9,000 comments it received from the public.

Will Trump Ever Return to Facebook and Instagram?

Even if the Oversight Board doesn’t ban Trump’s accounts, will he really return to Facebook and Instagram? With both platforms constantly removing Trump’s posts during his presidency, it’s unlikely he’ll want to subject himself to each site’s set of rules once again.