Social platforms flex their power, lock down Trump accounts
January 7, 2021 10:33AM AKST
By DAVID KLEPPER and MATT O’BRIEN Associated Press
After years of treating President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric with a light touch, Facebook and Instagram are silencing his social media accounts for the rest of his presidency. The move, which many called long overdue following Wednesday’s deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, is also a reminder of the enormous power that social-media platforms can wield when they choose. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg said the risk of allowing Trump to use the platform is too great; his account could be locked indefinitely. Twitter on Wednesday also temporarily locked President Donald Trump’s accounts after he repeatedly posted false accusations about the integrity of the election.