Facebook’s notoriously liberal Oversight Board has reportedly made its decision over whether former President Donald Trump will be allowed to use the platform again.
The choice is a clear one. Will the board, created to promote “free expression,” decide for or against free speech? “[The Oversight Board] is expected to announce on Wednesday whether Facebook can uphold its suspension of Trump or if it has to allow him back on the site,” The Washington Post explained May 3. “The board will announce its decision on this case — its most significant by far — at approximately 9 a.m. Wednesday.”
The Oversight Board was established as an external organization whose decisions impact Facebook. Many of the Board’s members have damning affiliations.
Yemeni activist Tawakkol Karman admitted she was “partial to the Muslim Brotherhood.” The brotherhood has ties to Hamas and was “proscribed as a terror organization by several countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Bahrain,” The Jerusalem Post wrote. Trump proposed designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror group in 2019.
More than half of the Board members have ties to leftist billionaire George Soros, giving him more influence than the entire conservative movement. “More than half of the members have ties to Soros, the philanthropist who dedicates huge sums to spreading a radical left agenda that includes targeting conservative politicians,” Judicial Watch reported.
One new board member will reportedly not participate in the decision making process. “Suzanne Nossel, will not participate in the deliberations over Trump's case,” Politico reported April 20. “But her earlier views offer a glimpse into what factors the board's current members may be considering as they take up Trump's case — which could bode well for him.”
Nossel wrote a Jan. 27 op-ed for the Los Angeles Times: “Banning Trump from Facebook may feel good. Here’s why it might be wrong.” In the piece, Nossel explained that the controversial "silencing” of Trump served as a "testament to the staggering influence of Facebook and a few other media companies over public discourse."
Facebook had suspended then-President Trump indefinitely, even as he called for peace amidst the U.S. Capitol riots. Trump assured his supporters, “I know your pain. I know your hurt,” but told them “you have to go home now. We have to have peace.” President Trump also said he agreed the election was “fraudulent,” but warned, “we can’t play into the hands of these people.” Zuckerberg declared on Jan. 7 that blocking Trump’s accounts on Facebook and Instagram would be extended indefinitely, as “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great.”
Conservatives are under attack. Contact the Facebook Oversight Board on Twitter or Facebook and demand that Big Tech be held to account to provide clarity on “hate speech” and mirror the First Amendment. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
