The board quickly indicated that it will accept the nomination, noting that its decision “will be binding on Facebook”.
Still on the ice: The social media giant blocked Trump from posting to Facebook or Instagram after his supporters broke into the Capitol on January 6, with the company saying that the risks of further violence justified suspending him at least until the end of this term. Facebook’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, said last week that the company had no plans to lift the suspension.
The initial decision drew praise from Democratic lawmakers, who had long called for Facebook and other social media platforms to prevent Trump and his allies from fueling divisions and inciting violence. But Republicans criticized tech companies for smothering the former president, reviving accusations that Silicon Valley companies are biased against conservatives. And some freedom of expression advocates and foreign leaders have expressed concern about the impact of a private company in making such decisions.
The supervisory board, made up of former government officials, civil rights leaders and other outside experts, was officially launched last year with a mission to review and reconsider some of Facebook’s highest profile content decisions.
Behind the scenes: Jamal Greene, a professor at Columbia Law School, co-chairman of the board, said on Thursday that he plans to make a “timely and principled decision” on the matter.
“I think we all recognize that there will be a lot of attention paid to this case, and it is an important case and therefore we will work as quickly as possible, consistently to decide the case in a consistent and principled way,” Greene told POLITICO .
Greene was one of five Americans selected to serve among the initial 20 board members.
The impact: The council’s final decision on Trump could have important implications for how the social media giant handles the accounts of world leaders more broadly.
The group said on Thursday that Facebook also “requested Council policy recommendations on suspensions when the user is a political leader”.
Mark Scott contributed to this report.