EXPLAINER: Will Donald Trump return to Facebook?

EXPLAINER: Will Donald Trump return to Facebook?

SeattlePI.com

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Former President Donald Trump will find out whether he gets to return to Facebook on Wednesday, when the social network’s quasi-independent Oversight Board plans to announce its ruling in the high-profile case.

The decision likely to stir up strong feelings no matter which way it goes. If the board rules in Trump's favor, Facebook has seven days to reinstate his account. If it upholds Facebook’s decision, Trump will remain “indefinitely suspended.” That means he’ll remain banned from the platform for as long as Facebook sees fit.

Here’s how the process works and what might happen after Wednesday’s announcement.

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WHY DID TRUMP GET SUSPENDED?

Trump’s Facebook account was suspended for inciting violence that led to the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riots. After years of treating Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric with a light touch, Facebook and Instagram, which Facebook owns, silenced his accounts on Jan. 7, saying at the time he’d be suspended “at least” through the end of his presidency on Jan. 20.

In a short video posted on his social media accounts, Trump had urged his supporters to “go home” while also repeating falsehoods about the integrity of the presidential election.

Facebook's move came after Trump was booted off Twitter, his preferred site for reaching his millions of social-media followers.

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WHAT IS THE OVERSIGHT BOARD AND HOW DOES IT MAKE ITS DECISIONS?

Facebook created the oversight panel to rule on thorny content on its platforms. Its creation came in response to widespread criticism about the company's inability to respond swiftly and effectively to misinformation, hate speech and nefarious influence campaigns. Facebook has said it doesn't believe that it should be the final word on such monumental questions...

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