The Internet Accountability Project conducted a poll in which 97 percent of independents and Republicans believe Facebook and Instagram should not have banned former President Donald Trump.
When asked if Facebook should have “banned President Trump from Facebook and Instagram,” 97 percent said no. Nearly one percent said yes.
The poll also asked if the U.S. government should “have permitted Facebook to buy its competitors Instagram and WhatsApp.” Eighty-four percent 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.” Ninety-seven percent said yes, and nearly one percent did not know.
The poll comes after Facebook continued its suspension of Trump from the platform on May 5.
Media Research Center’s Brent Bozell suggested the continued suspension is “another win for censorship and the suppression of dissenting voices, and a loss for free speech. Facebook also gets its first opportunity to interfere with the 2024 election.”
Other Republicans criticized Facebook’s decision.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) wrote, “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?”
“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,” Allum Bokhari tweeted.
The Internet Accountability Project conducted the poll on May 7 through May 12 with approximately 500 Republicans and independent respondents.