Facebook panel delays decision on whether ban on Trump can be lifted

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Facebook's Oversight Board has delayed its decision on whether former US President Donald Trump's should be allowed to return on Facebook and Instagram.</p>
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Mr Trump was banned from Facebook in January after the Capitol Hill riots in which five people were killed dead and more than 100 police officers injured.</p>
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In a statement on Twitter, the Board said it would make a decision "in the coming weeks". A decision was initially expected by 21 April. The Board will announce its decision on the case concerning former US President Trump's indefinite suspension from Facebook and Instagram in the coming weeks. We extended the public comments deadline for this case, receiving 9,000+ responses, the tweet said.</p>
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The Board was set up to rule on difficult or controversial moderation decisions made by Facebook.</p>
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After the Capitol Hill riots, the former president was accused of inciting violence and repeatedly spreading disinformation. Other social media platforms have also taken action against him. He is permanently banned on Twitter.</p>
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He is suspended on YouTube, but chief executive Susan Wojcicki has said they may lift the ban when the threat of "real-world violence" decreases.</p>
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According to data from CrowdTangle, some of Mr Trump's Facebook posts were among the most popular in the US.</p>
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The 20-member Facebook oversight board comprising journalists, human rights activists, lawyers and academics was established by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. It is often referred to as "Facebook's Supreme Court" as it operates as an independent entity, although the salaries and costs of operations is financed by the tech giant.</p>