Former President Donald Trump has filed an appeal concerning his Facebook banishment with an oversight board.
The board, funded by Facebook, was set up to be independent, and consisted of 19 former politicians, journalists, and academics, per The Epoch Times. The group hears users’ appeals and renders decisions within 90 days.
Former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, co-chair of the oversight board, told a United Kingdom TV network the board was looking into the appeal concerning Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.
“It’s a very high-profile case, but that is exactly why the Oversight Board was created in the first place,” Thorning-Schmidt told U.K.’s Channel 4 News.
Thorning-Schmidt said, although members would like to decide the issue quickly, time would be required to allow for translations, and for experts to share opinions.
The former prime minister also said the board already had received “thousands” of public comments regarding the case.
The oversight board confirmed “a user statement has been received in the case before the Oversight Board concerning President Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts,” per a statement to The Epoch Times.
“We will have no further comment concerning that statement until the Board has issued its decision,” the statement added.
Trump’s office had not responded to a request for comment.
Facebook suspended Trump’s account indefinitely following the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Twitter, Google, Snapchat, Twitch, and other social platforms also suspended Trump’s access in attempts to remove content they deemed harmful.
At the time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the risks of Trump using the platform through President Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20 were too great.
“We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Zuckerberg said. “Therefore, 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.”
Trump posted twice on Facebook on Jan. 6, when the company removed both updates after determining they violated its Community Standard on Dangerous Individuals and Organizations.
However, in both posts, one being a video, Trump told supporters “we have to have peace” and told them to “go home.”
Trump last week said he was examining options to return to social media, whether it be on an existing platform or creating a new platform.
The former president said he had no intention to rejoin Twitter, which he called “very boring.”
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