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Facebook refers Trump ban to independent Oversight Board for review

21 January 2021
Dan Ackermann

Facebook is referring its decision to indefinitely suspend former President Trump to its independent Oversight Board.

Why it matters: While Trump critics largely praised the company's decision to remove the then-president's account for potential incitement of violence, many world leaders and free speech advocates pushed back on the decision, arguing it sets a dangerous precedent for free speech moving forward.

What they're saying: "We believe our decision was necessary and right," Nick Clegg, Facebook's VP of global affairs and communications, said in a statement.

  • "Given its significance, we think it is important for the board to review it and reach an independent judgment on whether it should be upheld. While we await the board's decision, Mr. Trump’s access will remain suspended indefinitely."
  • Clegg added that in making the decision, Facebook's "first priority was to assist in the peaceful transfer of power. This is why, when announcing the suspension on Jan. 7, we said it would be indefinite and for at least two weeks. We are referring it to the Oversight Board now that the inauguration has taken place."

The big picture: The Oversight Board, which launched last year, is designed to operate fully independently, but it has financial and technical support from Facebook.

Be smart: Thousands of cases are submitted to the Oversight Board daily. But the panel says it will prioritize hearing cases that are submitted for review by Facebook itself.

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.