White House on Trump's 2-Year Facebook Suspension: "He Still Won't Change"

Jen Psaki, White House Press Secretary [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on the 4th (local time) that Facebook's decision to suspend former President Donald Trump's account for two years reflects the need for social media companies to take measures against misinformation spreading online, according to local media reports. While avoiding a direct answer, she expressed the position that social media platforms have a responsibility to take firm action against false information.

At a briefing that day, when asked whether Facebook's decision regarding Trump was reasonable, Psaki said, "As always, that is a decision the company must make, and every platform must make," adding, "Because we are working to keep the American public safe and help more people return to normal life, whether it is about elections or vaccines, all platforms must continue to bear the responsibility to crack down on misinformation and false information."

Earlier, Facebook announced that it would maintain the suspension of Trump's account for at least two years, stating that the account could only be reinstated if the risk to public safety has decreased. Facebook warned that if the rules are violated again after reinstatement in two years, the account could be permanently suspended. Psaki predicted that this measure would not change former President Trump's behavior. She said, "We have learned a lot over the past few years about how Trump uses these platforms," and added, "I don't think the zebra will change its stripes during the (Facebook suspension) two-year period."

Facebook had suspended Trump's account immediately after the January 6 Capitol riot, which Trump was criticized for inciting following his defeat in the presidential election. Facebook stated that with this announcement, Trump will not be able to use his account until January 7, 2023.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.