Two years ago, Facebook took the unprecedented step of banning former president Donald Trump from its platform. At the time, the company said it would reassess its decision in early 2023. And now that the moment has arrived, Facebook is weighing the potential risks of reinstating him versus the harm to free speech rights.

The social media giant banned him in the first place for inciting political violence. However, some experts say that users can already find that kind of rhetoric across other platforms, making the Facebook ban potentially obsolete. Meanwhile, other experts think that Facebook should protect free expression for all political candidates, and that it should set an example for other governments that may be looking for an excuse to crack down on speech.

“I’m very worried internationally about the trend of countries passing laws under the guise of regulating the tech companies that those governments are then exploiting to subdue free expression,” wrote Katie Harbath, a former employee of both Facebook and the Republican National Committee.

As usual, Facebook finds itself between a rock and hard place with this decision. No matter what it does, the company is sure to anger a wide range of people across the political spectrum.

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