Michael McConnell, a former federal judge and the Board Co-Chair of Facebook's Oversight Committee, said on Sunday that Facebook exercised too much power for imposing an indefinite ban on former Pres. Donald Trump from using Facebook, according to a published article on Fox News.
McConnell said they needed some time because their rules are in shambles. They are not transparent; they are unclear and are internally inconsistent, he said, adding that they made a series of recommendations about how to make their rules clearer and more consistent.
Facebook's Oversight Committee is an independent body whose members are not connected to Facebook. They are the ones who are given the authority to decide either to ban or to allow Trump to use Facebook again.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference.
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Facebook Violated Its Own Rule
In a recently published article in Bloomberg, McConnell said, "Mr. Trump is subject to the same rules on Facebook as everyone else, and the Oversight Board held that this was, in fact, a violation and thus Facebook was justified in taking them down."
The former federal judge also added that Facebook's decision to suspend him on social media indefinitely was not well justified. He also explained that Facebook did not give any reason for it, and it was not on their provision.
According to a published report in Forbes, they are attempting to incorporate some of the most fundamental concepts of the First Amendment and free speech legislation around the world into this process. Facebook wields far too much strength. They are capricious. They are indecisive. And it is the Oversight Board's responsibility to try to apply some discipline to the operation.
Trump is Responsible, but Facebook's Action is Inappropriate
McConnell also said that Trump is responsible for what transpired during the Capitol siege since he issued inflammatory posts that triggered his supporters to attack the Capitol.
However, On Wednesday, Facebook's Oversight Board upheld Trump's removal from Facebook and Instagram but said it was "inappropriate" to enforce the "indeterminate and standardless punishment of permanent suspension."
"On January 7, 2021, the Board upheld Facebook's decision to limit then-President Donald Trump's access to uploading material on his Facebook profile and Instagram account," the board said in a statement.
Members of the Board of the Oversight Committee said that they are giving Facebook six months to review its decision to ban Trump on Facebook indefinitely. They also noted that Facebook violated its own rule.
Other Important Information
McConnell explained that it is, of course, up to Congress to decide what the antitrust laws are going to be, adding that it is not a First Amendment issue. He also said that no judge in the country would hold that Trump's free speech rights were violated.
Trump's Facebook account has millions of followers, and it has been his primary source in giving updates during his administration.
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