Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram

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Donald Trump speaking at South Carolina State House in late JanuaryImage source, Getty Images
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Mr Trump, who is running for president again, has regained access to platforms where he has millions of followers

Donald Trump's Facebook and Instagram pages have been restored after being suspended for more than two years.

Mr Trump was banned from the social media platforms after the Capitol riots in 2021.

The platforms' parent company Meta said it had acted after the then-president praised people who were "engaged in violence at the Capitol".

If Mr Trump breaks the rules again, he may be removed again - for between one month and two years - Meta has said.

Posts in which he baselessly challenges the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election remain up on both websites.

Supporters have commented on the last of his posts with messages welcoming him back.

Mr Trump was initially suspended from the platforms indefinitely, but that was later revised to a two-year suspension after the platforms' Oversight Board criticised the open-ended penalty.

At the time, he described the move as "an insult" to the millions who voted for him in the 2020 presidential election.

His return was announced by Meta two weeks ago.

Nick Clegg, the company's president of global affairs, argued the public "should be able to hear what their politicians are saying".

He added that a review had found Mr Trump's accounts to no longer pose a serious risk to public safety.

Last November, the former president announced he would be running for president again in 2024. He has 34m followers on Facebook and over 23m on Instagram.