• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

3

Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
NewslettersData Sheet

Facebook enters a ‘game of ping pong’ over Trump ban

By
Danielle Abril
Danielle Abril
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Danielle Abril
Danielle Abril
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 6, 2021, 9:00 AM ET
Video Poster
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Facebook’s Oversight Board was faced with its biggest decision since it started taking cases last year: Should former President Donald Trump be banned from Facebook? But instead of providing a clear answer, the board chose the path of least resistance.

Facebook indefinitely suspended Trump from its service one day after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, saying that the risk for further incitement was too great to allow Trump to keep posting. It was a big move from a company that not only had taken a light-handed approach to moderating Trump and other politicians but also had defended those decisions amid major backlash.

Two weeks later, when it was expected to make a decision on whether to continue Trump’s ban, Facebook passed the buck to the Oversight Board, the company’s Supreme Court-like entity for tough content-moderation decisions. It was “important” that the board to review the issue given its “significance,” Facebook’s chief spokesman and public policy officer Nick Clegg said at the time. The move eased the pressure off Facebook—and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg—and dumped the problem on the board.

After more than 100 days since taking the case, the board said Wednesday that Facebook had “sufficient justification” to suspend Trump given the heightened risk of violence. But indefinitely suspending Trump without any criteria of when or whether it would end was “improper,” it said. Finally, it said Facebook needed to decide whether the suspension would be permanent, not the board. The board gave Facebook six months to make the decision and admitted that the the issue could end up back on the board’s docket once that happens.

To summarize the decision: Facebook was right…but it was also wrong. And the board made the decision…for Facebook to make the decision. But also, the company’s decision may ultimately be a decision for the board. Are we clear?

Critics from all sides were quick to blast the ruling. And some suggested the update just proves how pointless, and perhaps powerless, the board really is.

“The game of ping-pong must end,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League and member of an unofficial oversight board of Facebook. “We need the real game. The game of oversight and monitoring that only the government [can provide].”

But the board patted itself on the back for making various recommendations, including that Facebook publish a review of how it may have contributed to the Capitol riot, and for denouncing Facebook’s sloppy handling of the Trump ban. “Anyone who’s concerned about Facebook’s excessive concentration of power should welcome the oversight board clearly telling Facebook that they cannot invent new unwritten rules when it suits them,” said board member Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Denmark’s former prime minister.

While clear rules and consistent enforcement on Facebook would be a welcomed change, so would a firm decision on what world leaders can say on the service. Your move, Zuck.

Danielle Abril
@DanielleDigest
danielle.abril@fortune.com

NEWSWORTHY

Tweeps take a stand. Facebook isn’t the only company trying to figure out how it should handle world leaders on its service. Twitter, which banned former President Donald Trump from its service on Jan. 9, said a record 49,000 people responded to a survey it conducted on the matter. Twitter asked users whether they thought the service should take greater or less action against world leaders who violate the rules compared to regular users. It also asked a series of hypothetical questions, Reuters reports. But the social network has not yet tipped its hand to the findings of the survey.

Fatal filters. Snapchat has been at the forefront of some of the most creative augmented reality filters that can make users morph into puppies, superheroes, or even the opposite gender. But the filters may cause Snap to pay some major consequences after three young men died in a car accident. The driver, who used Snapchat’s speed filter to capture the car’s speed, was traveling at 123 miles per hour when he crashed. Now a federal appeals court says the parents of the deceased have the right to sue Snap.

An Uber better quarter. Uber’s first-quarter earnings showed that the company narrowed its losses, as its business is boosted by food delivery demand and benefitted from the sale of self-driving unit. The company reported that it lost $108 million during the quarter, down from a loss of $968 million in the same quarter last year. The change is partially credited to the $1.6 billion sale of its self-driving unit Advanced Technology Group to Aurora Innovation. Meanwhile, Uber Eats generated $1.7 billion for the quarter, an increase of 28% year over year.

PayPal’s big pay day. PayPal reported record earnings of $1.1 billion during its first quarter, as the number of transactions flowing through its services booms. The company said it generated $6.03 billion, a 31% increase year over year. PayPal CEO Dan Schulman said the results point to a shift in consumer’s digital behavior that may long outlive the coronavirus pandemic. PayPal also highlighted the growth in payment volume of Venmo, its peer-to-peer payment app, which was up 63%.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

The public may be familiar with the complexity of regulating big social media companies like TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, given their billions of users and various societal problems. But what about the smaller, unknown sites and apps that go viral among young people? Ysabel Gerrard, a lecturer in digital media and society at the University of Sheffield, says these apps often have just as many problems as their much bigger rivals, far less resources, and are gone before anyone even knows the extent of the issues. How should lawmakers be thinking about those services? 

“Regulating new anonymous apps is a tricky balancing act: Do they need looser regulations so they can grow? Or do they need stricter rules, because a lack of regulation might make their young users more vulnerable to harm? While kids use globally popular apps like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat, they’re also drawn to apps no one has ever heard of, and one-size-fits-all policies that only imagine established platforms are never going to accommodate the unique challenges popular by surprise apps present,” Gerrard writes in an op-ed piece for Wired.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Is the Facebook oversight board’s Trump decision ‘disgraceful’ or ‘necessary’? The Internet weighs in. By Aaron Pressman

Everything you should know about the Facebook board that just ruled on Trump’s banishment By Danielle Abril

The Biden administration’s withdrawal of a Trump-era gig-worker rule casts a ‘dark cloud’ over Uber earnings By Anne Sraders

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin to auction its first space tourist spot aboard a rocket By Aaron Pressman

What was Justin Zhu’s ouster about? By Lucinda Shen

This app fighting food waste around the world is gaining ground in the U.S. By Rachel King

(Some of these stories require a subscription to access. Thank you for supporting our journalism.)

BEFORE YOU GO

CVS has joined Walgreens and Walmart and is now offering walk-in COVID-19 vaccinations. The news came just one day after President Joe Biden called for pharmacies that are part of the government’s vaccine distribution partnership to provide the option. If you haven’t done it already, you now have plenty of opportunities to go get jabbed ... and get some snacks while doing it!

About the Author
By Danielle Abril
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Newsletters

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Newsletters

Coworkers watching World Cup at a bar
NewslettersFortune Workplace Innovation
How smart employers are turning the World Cup into a workplace win
By Emma BurleighJune 29, 2026
43 minutes ago
The sell-off in Strategy’s preferred stock has investors questioning everything
NewslettersFortune Crypto
The sell-off in Strategy’s preferred stock has investors questioning everything
By Ben WeissJune 29, 2026
1 hour ago
As JPMorgan’s CEO race heats up, the case for a two-person succession contest is put to the test
C-SuiteNext to Lead
As JPMorgan’s CEO race heats up, the case for a two-person succession contest is put to the test
By Ruth UmohJune 29, 2026
3 hours ago
CEOs have forgotten the moderate playbook. The stakes for relearning it have never been higher
NewslettersCEO Daily
CEOs have forgotten the moderate playbook. The stakes for relearning it have never been higher
By Diane BradyJune 29, 2026
4 hours ago
The Google Midlothian Data Center in Midlothian, Texas, on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025. Alphabet's Google plans to invest $40 billion in three new Texas data centers. (Photo: Jonathan Johnson/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Google: Thank you Meta! But your AI capacity is in another data center!
By Andrew NuscaJune 29, 2026
5 hours ago
Fortune Archives: “Irrational exuberance”: Alan Greenspan’s warning, then and now
NewslettersFortune Archives
Fortune Archives: “Irrational exuberance”: Alan Greenspan’s warning, then and now
By Joey AbramsJune 28, 2026
1 day ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
4 days ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
2 days ago
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
Success
Ex-Google engineer says Larry Page, Sergey Brin and Sundar Pichai share the same trait—it's the lesson he swears by as a $7.2 billion AI CEO
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
Success
Cristiano Ronaldo is soccer's first-ever billionaire: He went from begging for burgers outside McDonald's to landing a $400 million contract
By Preston ForeJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
Environment
The retired college professor fighting a $313 trespassing ticket in Wisconsin thinks he's part of a national struggle
By Catherina GioinoJune 28, 2026
1 day ago
Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a 'shadow war' over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire
Politics
Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a 'shadow war' over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire
By Jason MaJune 28, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.