An external review board set up by Facebook has upheld the company’s decision to suspend Donald Trump’s account.

We think this was the right call.

But the story is not over.

Content moderation decisions are difficult, but Trump violated Facebook’s rules over and over again.

And Trump’s violations of the rules in his Facebook posts caused real, severe, and widespread harm — to people and to our democracy.

• Trump repeatedly engaged in hate speech — as commonly understood and as defined in Facebook’s own rules — directed at immigrants, Muslims, people of color, and others. Appallingly, but not surprisingly, hate crimes soared during Trump’s presidency.

• Trump repeatedly circulated false, misleading, and dangerous posts about the coronavirus — contributing to the COVID denialism and vaccine hesitancy that public health experts just this week admitted may prevent us from ever achieving herd immunity. The American people have suffered, and continue to suffer, incalculable misery — in economic ruin and lives lost — as a result of Trump’s utterly catastrophic response to the pandemic.

• Trump repeatedly lied on Facebook before and after the 2020 election — that there was rampant “fraud” and that the election was “stolen” from him — in direct violation of Facebook’s own rules. And now Trumpist legislators in 47 states are exploiting those lies to push retrograde, racist voter suppression laws that threaten to undermine the very concept of democracy in America.

• Trump himself — and his MAGA legions, including openly racist thugs from groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers — actively used Facebook to incite and plan the January 6 insurrection.

The review board upheld Trump’s suspension and directed Facebook to make a firm decision about what it will do going forward.

Tell Facebook:

Donald Trump broke your rules over and over again. In so doing, he imperiled countless lives and even the future of our democracy. You should ban Donald Trump permanently — at least until he shows contrition, acknowledges he broke the rules, and agrees to follow them if allowed to resume posting. If Trump won’t do that, then letting him back on Facebook means he will just pick up where he left off.

Add your name.

Thanks for taking action.

(And stay tuned for future actions about breaking up Big Tech platforms like Facebook.)

For justice and democracy,

- Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen

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