Facebook Contacting Advertisers As Decision On Trump Return Looms

Facebook has been reaching out to advertisers in anticipation of former President Donald Trump's potential reinstatement to the social media site, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A decision is expected Wednesday.

Facebook has been using an independent oversight board to determine whether Trump should be allowed to begin posting again.

Per WSJ, during one call with advertisers, Facebook policy executives tried to gauge the public's reaction to hypothetical decisions by the board. An email was also sent to advertisers to alert them that a decision looms.

“We’ve long stated that we should not make so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own,” the email said, according to a copy reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. “That’s why we created the Oversight Board, a global body of experts and civic leaders from around the world that exercises independent judgment to make binding decisions on whether specific content should be allowed on the platform.”

Facebook suspended Trump earlier this year, after accusing him of violating the posting policy by offering praise and support for the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill protest. It then turned to the 20-person independent oversight board to decide whether Trump should be allowed to return.

Ad execs interviewed by The Wall Street Journal seem to believe advertisers will continue, should Trump be reinstated.

“If a brand was to jump off of Facebook because they felt it was inappropriate for Trump to be on, they could potentially alienate the 75 million people that voted for him,” Barry Lowenthal, chief executive officer of Media Kitchen, an ad-buying firm owned by MDC Partners Inc., told The Wall Street Journal.

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Sam Amico spent 15 years covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated, FOX Sports and NBA.com, along with a few other spots, and currently runs his own basketball website on the side, FortyEightMinutes.com.