Facebook bans Trump until Biden inauguration, maybe longer

Facebook and Instagram will bar U.S. President Donald Trump from posting on its system at least until the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the unprecedented move in a post Thursday morning, saying the risk of allowing Trump to use the platform is too great.

This following the president’s incitement of a mob that touched off a deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

Zuckerberg says Trump’s account will be locked “for at least the next two weeks” but could remain locked indefinitely.

We believe the risks of allowing President Trump to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great, so we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks. pic.twitter.com/JkyGOTYB1Z

— Facebook Newsroom (@fbnewsroom) January 7, 2021

Twitter also locked Trump’s accounts for 12 hours after he repeatedly posted false accusations about the integrity of the election.

That suspension was set to expire sometime Thursday. The president had not yet resumed tweeting as of late Thursday morning.

Meanwhile, there is a heavy police presence at the U.S. Capitol following Wednesday’s attack.

The Defence Department has formally activated roughly 6,200 members of the National Guard from six northeastern states to help support the Capitol Police and other law enforcement in Washington.

Four people died in the chaos, including a protester who was shot by police.

The vote to certify Joe Biden’s presidential win was completed after the building was cleared.