Facebook Gets Major Backlash from Lawmakers After Upholding Trump Ban
Republican lawmakers issued a warning to Facebook after its Oversight Board upheld the social media giant’s suspension of former President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning.
“Facebook is more interested in acting like a Democrat Super PAC than a platform for free speech and open debate,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy tweeted.
“If they can ban President Trump, all conservative voices could be next. A House Republican majority will rein in big tech power over our speech.”
Facebook is more interested in acting like a Democrat Super PAC than a platform for free speech and open debate.
If they can ban President Trump, all conservative voices could be next.
A House Republican majority will rein in big tech power over our speech.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) May 5, 2021
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida added, “Big tech thinks it can control everything. Companies that censor Americans while giving brutal dictators a pass should not have free rein over your personal data to use for their benefit.”
“Disgraceful,” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted. “For every liberal celebrating Trump’s social media ban, if the Big Tech oligarchs can muzzle the former President, what’s to stop them from silencing you?”
Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted, “It’s clear that Mark Zuckerberg views himself as the arbiter of free speech.”
The Oversight Board’s controversial move Wednesday morning affirmed the company’s decision to remove Trump following the Jan. 6 incursion of the Capitol.
“Trump’s posts during the Capitol riot severely violated Facebook’s rules and encouraged and legitimized violence,” the board said.
It gave Facebook six months to review what it called an “arbitrary” indefinite ban, adding that Facebook “violated its own rules.”
The Board also found Facebook violated its own rules by imposing a suspension that was ‘indefinite.’ This penalty is not described in Facebook’s content policies. It has no clear criteria and gives Facebook total discretion on when to impose or lift it.
— Oversight Board (@OversightBoard) May 5, 2021
The hashtag #DeleteFacebook trended on Twitter on Wednesday morning as calls to delete Facebook accounts increased over the board’s decision.
I miss freedom…#DeleteFacebook pic.twitter.com/FIkgdW4MPm
— Dude (@TheHeismann01) May 5, 2021
Facebook, Google and Twitter collectively control 90%+ of the internet, these giant monopolies must be broken up or regulated as utilities. #DeleteFacebook
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) May 5, 2021
Some posts retweeted a Mashable article that gave instructions on how to permanently remove your Facebook account.
“Facebook and Twitter and others have clearly established two different sets of rules,” Trump’s political adviser, Corey Lewandowski said in a radio interview, according to Fox News.
“One if you’re a conservative or a Republican or have a different ideology than them, and one if you’re a liberal.”
The news comes after Trump launched a new website Tuesday — DonaldJTrump.com/desk — that provides a running commentary in the style of the tweets that riveted Americans throughout his political campaigns and presidency.
Although he was handed a lifetime ban from Twitter after the Capitol incursion in January along with the Facebook ban, the new site allows those who want to comment about what Trump has posted to share their reaction to his comments on Twitter or Facebook.
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