On January 6, a number of social media outlets, including Facebook, moved to ban former President Donald Trump from their platforms. These decisions were met with shock and surprise because politicians are typically protected from content moderation rules that regular users are not. As a result, many lawmakers could potentially get away with making ruder, derogatory or downright bigoted remarks. However, that could all be changing in the near future.
The Verge has reported that Facebook is making plans to remove policies that typically protect lawmakers from content moderation rules. In short, politicians are now at more risk of being kicked off of these public social platforms. Public figures like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Sen. Josh Hawley can now face permanent bans if they spread disinformation or use bigoted language.
In addition to removing protections for politicians, the app plans to provide users with more information regarding content violations. Moving forward, Facebook will likely apply a strike system that will let users know when they’ve broken a rule and if they are at risk of being suspended or banned.
At this time, Facebook spokesman Jeff Gelman declined to comment on the story. However, Facebook is expected to formally announce their changes later today.
