Former President Donald Trump made a triumphant return to the Internet on Friday, with access to his previously-suspended accounts on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter. Trump had been banned from mainstream social media platforms after false claims of voter fraud and inciting violence at the Capitol in January 2021. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, allowed Trump's return to their platforms with "heightened penalties for repeating offenses". YouTube, which had previously left Trump's channel but restricted it from uploading new content, also lifted all restrictions.
The return of the former president, who has millions of followers, gives him a powerful platform to spread his message and potentially raise funds for a possible presidential run 2024. Trump has also been active on Truth Social, a platform he helped launch, and has yet to post on any of the major social media sites since its restoration.
The decision to lift the ban on Trump has been met with both praise and criticism, with YouTube noting that they want to balance the chance for voters to hear equally from major national candidates in the run-up to an election. The shift began when Elon Musk invited Trump back to Twitter in November, and Facebook and YouTube followed soon after. Despite the controversy, Trump's return to mainstream social media platforms marks a major shift in the way the internet is used for political discourse.