Former President Donald Trump speaks in New Hampshire on Jan. 28, 2023. Scott Eisen/Getty Images
Former President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were restored Thursday, Meta confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: This was expected after Meta announced last month it would reinstate the accounts. Facebook, along with Twitter and many other social media platforms, barred the former president shortly after the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
Flashback: Meta said in a statement last month that it would reinstate the former president in the “coming weeks.”
- "However, we are doing so with new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses," the statement said, including "heightened penalties."
- Trump's potential future posts will be removed if they violate content, Meta said.
- The account will then be suspended for a timeframe of one month to two years, "depending on the severity of the violation," the statement said.
The big picture: The reinstatement will provide Trump access to both of his Facebook and Instagram pages, which currently have 34 million and 23 million followers, respectively.
- Twitter reinstated Trump's account back in November. The former president has not posted anything on Twitter to date, though.
- Trump has instead opted to post exclusively on his own social media platform, Truth Social, which is a direct competitor to Twitter.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional context.
Go deeper: Meta's Trump invite hangs a cloud over Truth Social