Facebook Bans Trump While ‘Trump’s Internet’ Celebrates Insurrection

19:45

Mina Kim

Jan 8, 2021 at

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Supporters of US President Donald Trump, including Jake Angeli (C), a QAnon supporter known for his painted face and horned hat, enter the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, in Washington, DC. ( SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)

On Thursday, Facebook announced it banned President Donald Trump from posting on its platform and on Instagram for at least the next two weeks. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the risks of allowing Trump to post “are simply too great” after the president posted a video calling violent insurrectionists “very special” as they rioted on Capitol Hill. Many see the bans as too little, too late, after years of allowing Trump to spread lies, conspiracy theories and disinformation online that fueled a base of extremist supporters. In her piece “Trump’s Internet is Celebrating” for The Atlantic, Kaitlyn Tiffany writes that the insurrectionists, known as the #StopTheSteal movement online, did exactly what they’d promised to do for months and are gleeful over yesterday’s riots. We’ll talk to Tiffany about how Trump’s attempted coup was born online and where social media companies go from here.

Guests:

Kaitlyn Tiffany, staff writer, The Atlantic

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