Facebook has suspended US President Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely in wake of the violence that broke out at Capitol Hill ahead of the certification of the Electoral College votes.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook, in a post on the social networking website wrote that the account blocks have been placed indefinitely and "for at least two weeks until the peaceful transfer of power is complete."
He pointed out that the risks of allowing the President to continue to use the service during this period are "simply too great."
"We are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete, he wrote.
"The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden," Zuckerberg wrote in a post.
He stated that Trump's decision to use his platform "to condone rather than condemn" the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has "rightly" disturbed people in the US and around the world.
"We removed these statements yesterday because we judged that their effect -- and likely their intent -- would be to provoke further violence. Following the certification of the election results by Congress, the priority for the whole country must now be to ensure that the remaining 13 days and the days after inauguration pass peacefully and in accordance with established democratic norms," he added.
Over the last several years, Zuckerberg wrote that the platform has allowed Trump to the medium "consistent with our own rules, at times removing content or labelling his posts when they violate our policies."
"We did this because we believe that the public has a right to the broadest possible access to political speech, even controversial speech. But the current context is now fundamentally different, involving the use of our platform to incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government," the Facebook CEO wrote.
Social media giants Twitter, Facebook and Instagram earlier on Wednesday blocked US President Donald Trump from posting on their platforms as rioters attacked the US Capitol and violent protests broke out in Washington DC.
While Twitter said Trump's account will be locked until he deletes three tweets, Facebook and Instagram said Trump won't be able to post for 24 hours. Facebook also removed posts, including a video that Trump posted on the platform in support of the mob descending on the US Capitol.
According to Sputnik, Wednesday began with a Trump rally near the White House with the president telling tens of thousands of supporters to march to Capitol Hill to protest election results while repeating unsubstantiated claims that his defeat resulted from massive election fraud.
Trump responded later in the day with a tepid statement urging supporters to leave the Capitol as lawmakers sheltered in locked offices and federal police battled protesters. At least four people died during the melee.
In a late-night session of Congress after police secured the Capitol, lawmakers voted to certify Biden's victory.
Biden is set to be inaugurated on January 20.
( With inputs from ANI )
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