Poll: 97% of Independents, Republicans Believe FB, IG Should Not Have Banned Trump
An overwhelming majority of Independent voters and Republicans believe that social media companies such as Facebook and Instagram shouldn’t have banned former President Donald Trump from their platforms.
A recent “Internet Accountability Project” revealed the findings that 97% of independent and GOP voters were opposed to such a move by these big tech companies.
“When asked if Facebook should have “banned President Trump from Facebook and Instagram,” 97 percent said no. Nearly one percent said yes,” Breitbart said in its report.
POLL: 97 Percent Of Independents And Republicans Believe Social Media Companies Shouldn't Ban Trump – https://t.co/RovDLYK3nX pic.twitter.com/cgbAyGwKBp
— American Lookout (@amlookout) May 15, 2021
Respondents also opposed the growing “monopoly” of Facebook across social media platforms when it acquired its competitors.
“The poll also asked if the U.S. government should ‘have permitted Facebook to buy its competitors Instagram and WhatsApp,’” the report added.
It noted that “84% of respondents said no, and six percent said yes.”
Respondents were additionally asked if Americans should ‘have more control over and own their online data.
Overwhelmingly, 97% of them said yes, according to the study, and “nearly one percent did not know.”
The “Internet Accountability Project” survey was released after an oversight board confirmed Facebook’s earlier decision to ban former US President Trump from its platform on May 5.
Facebook's oversight board recommended the platform either choose a time-specific suspension for Trump or make its ban permanent, handing the final decision back to Mark Zuckerberg. https://t.co/IwzANZuzwa
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) May 15, 2021
POLL: 97% Of Independents And Republicans believe Social Media Companies should not have the power to Ban Trump.
Apparently only Democrats think fascism is ok
— Anne Elizabeth (@AnneElizabethUS) May 15, 2021
Media Research Center’s Brent Bozell suggested that the continued suspension of former President Trump on the social media platform is “another win for censorship and the suppression of dissenting voices, and a loss for free speech.
He said “Facebook also gets its first opportunity to interfere with the 2024 election.”
Republicans also blasted Facebook’s decision. Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) said the move was “disgraceful.”
“Disgraceful. For every liberal celebrating Trump’s social media ban, if the Big Tech oligarchs can muzzle the former President, what’s to stop them from silencing you?”
Democrats continue their totalitarian calls for #BigTech to silence dissent. pic.twitter.com/n2J9F5cK7i
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) May 5, 2021
#BigTech’s assault against free speech continues.https://t.co/LOb0fFvP0g
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) May 6, 2021
Allum Bokhari of Breitbart News tweeted:“In the least surprising news ever, the Facebook oversight board has decided Facebook was completely right and correct to ban Donald Trump. Facebook investigated Facebook and found Facebook innocent.”
GOP Missouri Senator Josh Hawley also renewed his push for anti-trust measures against social media giants and big tech companies, after Facebook’s decision.
The Republican senator said it is “a little bit ridiculous” how the oversight board — reportedly an independent body with binding authority over Facebook’s content decisions — said the social media’s move to suspend Trump following the January 6 chaos at Capitol Hill was “justified.”
Sen. Josh Hawley: "We've got a monopoly problem in this country. We need to break them up." pic.twitter.com/RQtS5pBa6R
— The Hill (@thehill) May 2, 2021
The “Internet Accountability Project” conducted the poll from May 7-May 12 with approximately 500 Republicans and independent respondents.
