Facebook announced Thursday that it is banning President Trump from the platform “indefinitely,” at least until he is out of office.
“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a statement. “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 will also be blocked from posting on Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.
The social media giant’s decision came after pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday, breaking past security and entering the Senate chamber.
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, which is owned by Google, were all lambasted by critics who said the tech companies could have done more to prevent the escalation of violence.
Twitter took a similar step to Facebook Wednesday evening, temporarily blocking Trump’s account for 12 hours, saying it was weighing banning him permanently.
Prior to locking his account, Twitter also deleted three of Trump’s tweets, including a video message the president tweeted out after the mob of Trump supporters broke into the Capitol urging them to remain peaceful and return home. The president had repeated his claim in the video that the election was rife with voter fraud. Facebook and YouTube also deleted the video from their platforms.