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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Did a Facebook advisory panel decline to overturn the company’s suspension of Trump’s account?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

On May 5, 2021, an independent expert panel created by Facebook to rule on controversial policy questions declined to restore Donald Trump’s access to the platform. The panel told the company to review the matter and come to a final, “proportionate” and “consistent” response within six months.

Facebook banned Trump on January 7, citing him for “encouraging violence during the Capitol riot” in violation of its standards. The panel said the indefinite term of the ban was “not appropriate” as there were no clear rules or procedure supporting the decision.

“We decided that Facebook was both right and wrong,” one panel member, former Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, said. The ban was right given Trump’s posts about the riot; the indefinite term was wrong. “Just to say indefinite gives too much power to Facebook.”

Facebook, under rules it set up, has 30 days to respond to the panel.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Oversight Board Oversight Board upholds former President Trump’s suspension, finds Facebook failed to impose proper penalty
Mark Zuckerberg CEO’s post on initial ban of Trump
Facebook Community Standards—Violence and Criminal Behavior
The New York Times Transcript of ‘Sway’: Interview of Alan Rusbridger, member of Facebook Oversight Board
Protocol Transcript: Interview with Thomas Hughes, director of Facebook Oversight Board
Facebook Responding to the Oversight Board’s first decisions
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.