President Trump will be banned from his Facebook and Instagram account indefinitely, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on Thursday.
Zuckerberg’s decision follows a chaotic night of violent rioting that escalated at the U.S. Capitol following a pro-Trump rally to protest Congress’s certification of the election results, solidifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
“We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Zuckerberg said in a statement. “Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.”
The tech giant announced a 24-hour suspension of Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram on Wednesday, citing the president engaged in policy violations.
Facebook, as well as YouTube, removed a video of Trump calling on his supporters to peacefully go home after inciting violence at the Capitol. In the video, Trump repeated accusations that the 2020 election was riddled with mass voter fraud, rigging the victory in favor of his opponent.
Guy Rosen, vice president of integrity at Facebook, said the company declared an “emergency situation” and removed the president’s statement because executives determined “it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence.”
Twitter, often the president’s go-to platform to put out information and his opinions, also announced a lock of Trump’s account for 12 hours until he deletes three tweets that violated the company’s rules. If he refuses to delete his tweets, Twitter may suspend the @realDonaldTrump account indefinitely.
Rioters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday after Trump encouraged his rally-goers to encourage lawmakers to object to Biden’s win. Four people died amid the chaos, and several dozen were arrested.
The FBI has said they are investigating who may have been involved with the violent activity and are working to bring people to justice.
Congress certified Biden’s victory early Thursday morning, and Trump promised a peaceful transfer of power in two weeks.
