Facebook makes big call on Donald Trump after Capitol attack

Washington DC - That's it for Donald Trump – at least on Facebook and Instagram. Mark Zuckerberg has blocked the US president's account "indefinitely."

Donald Trump (74) won't be able to post anything on Facebook or Instagram until the end of his presidency.
Donald Trump (74) won't be able to post anything on Facebook or Instagram until the end of his presidency.  © imago images / ZUMA Wire

Trump's Facebook account was temporarily blocked following Wednesday's incidents at the US Capitol in Washington. The ban is now being extended.

According to a detailed post by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (36), the president's channels will remain blocked "indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks."

The decision applies to both his Facebook and Instagram accounts, which are currently followed by just under 35 and 25 million subscribers, respectively.

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Trump will be barred from publishing posts at the very least until his successor Joe Biden (78) takes office on January 20.

Zuckerberg thinks Donald Trump is too dangerous at the moment

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (36) says Trump has finally crossed the line.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (36) says Trump has finally crossed the line.  © Imago Images / Starface

Zuckerberg justified the move by saying that the 74-year-old's statements are simply too dangerous at the moment. "Over the last several years, we have allowed President Trump to use our platform consistent with our own rules, at times removing content or labeling his posts when they violate our policies," the Facebook founder wrote.

"We did this because we believe that the public has a right to the broadest possible access to political speech, even controversial speech. But the current context is now fundamentally different," Zuckerberg added.

Facebook was being used "to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government," he added. That's what the blocking of Trump's accounts is intended to help curb.

Twitter has only temporarily blocked Donald Trump

However, Trump is already back on his favorite platform Twitter, from which was also blocked for 12 hours after some of his tweets downplayed the US Capitol attack. The outgoing president's first and so far only tweet since his return has been a video statement denouncing Wednesday's violence.

Twitter has also explicitly threatened Trump with an indefinite ban should he violate their guidelines again.

Cover photo: imago images / ZUMA Wire

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