In an unusual turn of events, as Facebook considers reinstating former President Donald J. Trump to its platform following his suspension after the January 6th riots, the individual deciding whether former President Trump will be able to exercise his First Amendment rights on the platform of a US company is himself a former British Deputy Prime Minister.
According to reports, the executive at Facebook who has been assigned to oversee the decision-making process with respect to Trump’s reinstatement in the coming weeks, is former UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
According to a source familiar with the situation, Clegg will helm a specially-formed internal working group at the company made up of leaders from various divisions of the company, including public policy, communications, content policy, and safety and integrity. Presently they are evaluating the issues surrounding the reinstatement of the former President, in preparation for rendering a decision on whether or not he will be allowed to return.
The working group was first reported on by the Financial Times.
Former President Trump was banned from both of Facebook-parent Meta’s two platforms, Facebook and Instagram following the riots at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, 2021. Initially the ban was announced as indefinite, though it was later amended to a two-year ban, which expires on January 7th, 2023. However his final reinstatement was not guaranteed, and was left pending an internal review, presently ongoing.
According to Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone, the official announcement of the final decision will occur, “in the comi.ng weeks.”
Nick Clegg is presently Facebook’s president of global affairs. He was a former deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Speaking of Trump’s potential reinstatement, Clegg had explained in a blog post in June of 2021, “If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.”
In December, two Democrat lawmakers urged Facebook to keep Trump suspended. They pointed to his recent statements on Trump’s own platform Truth Social as continuing to be inflammatory.
In a letter to the company, California Rep. Adam Schiff and Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse wrote, “For Meta to credibly maintain a legitimate election integrity policy, it is essential that your company maintain its platform ban on former president Trump. Based on Meta’s own statement on standards for allowing Trump back on the platform, his account should continue to be restricted.”
