Timeline: After years of slow steps, Facebook muzzles Trump

In a step many thought would never come, Facebook and Twitter have suspended President Donald Trump from posting to their platforms following the storming of the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. While some cheered the platforms’ actions, experts noted that the companies’ actions follow years of hemming and hawing on Trump and his supporters spreading dangerous misinformation and encouraging violence that have contributed to Wednesday’s violence.

So, how did we get here? Here's a look back and Facebook's steps and missteps over the past four years.

Nov. 10, 2016: Days after Trump's election, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls the idea that “fake news” on Facebook had influenced the election “a pretty crazy idea." He later walks back the comment.

December 2016: Facebook says it will hire third-party fact-checkers to combat misinformation.

April 27, 2017: Facebook publicly acknowledges that governments or other malicious non-state actors are using its social network to influence national elections, in line with U.S. government findings of Russian interference.

October 2017: Facebook says ads linked to a Russian internet agency were seen by an estimated 10 million people before and after the 2016 election.

November 2017: Ahead of congressional hearings on election interference, Facebook ups that estimate, saying Russian ads fomenting political division potentially reached as many as 126 million users.

Jan. 4, 2018: Zuckerberg declares his 2018 resolution is to “fix” Facebook.

March 2018: Evidence grows that Facebook campaigns were used to steer the U.K. toward Brexit.

April 2018: Zuckerberg testifies before Congress and apologizes for the company’s missteps, as well as fake news, hate speech, a lack of data privacy and foreign interference in the 2016...