In January of 2021, major social media platforms took the unprecedented step of banning then President Donald Trump following a riot on Capitol Hill.

Yet in a move which is sure to outrage many on the left, one of America's largest tech firms just announced that the former president is free to return. 

Trump will face "new guardrails"

According to The Washington Examiner, Meta executive Nick Clegg revealed on Wednesday that Trump will be allowed back on its two major platforms, Facebook and Instagram.

"We will be reinstating Mr. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in the coming weeks," Clegg was quoted as saying on Meta's blog. "However, we are doing so with new guardrails in place to deter repeat offenses," he added.

"In the event that Mr. Trump posts further violating content, the content will be removed and he will be suspended for between one month and two years, depending on the severity of the violation," Clegg explained.

"Our updated protocol also addresses content that does not violate our Community Standards but that contributes to the sort of risk that materialized on January 6th, such as content that delegitimizes an upcoming election or is related to QAnon," the executive continued.

Meta executive says threat of violence "has sufficiently receded"

The Examiner noted that Trump was once a major figure on Facebook, where he had 34 million followers. That was in addition to his 25 million followers on Instagram.

Fox News reported that Clegg went on to stress how an assessment by his company found the risk of another January 6-style event "has sufficiently receded."

This assessment included "looking at the conduct of the US 2022 midterm elections, and expert assessments on the current security environment."

Trump: Truth Social has done "an incredible job"

Fox News said that for his part, Trump released a statement on Truth Social in which he condemned the 2021 decision to remove him from Facebook.

"FACEBOOK, which has lost Billions of Dollars in value since 'deplatforming' your favorite President, me, has just announced that they are reinstating my account," Trump said late on Wednesday afternoon.

"Such a thing should never again happen to a sitting President, or anybody else who is not deserving of retribution!" he declared while stressing that Truth Social has done "an incredible job."

Meta's decision to reinstate Trump comes two months after new Twitter owner Elon Musk said Trump would be permitted back on the platform.

Yet despite his Twitter account being reactivated, the former president has chosen to remain exclusively on Truth Social.