Trump ban: Facebook reportedly asks employees not to wear company clothing in public

Facebook has reportedly asked its employees not to wear any company-branded apparel in public in an internal memo, according to a news report published by the Information, following the suspension of outgoing US President Donald Trump and the recent banning of posts that claim the recently concluded US election had been stolen or rigged.

Gizmodo reproduced the text of the memo reportedly reviewed by the Information, which reads as follows. “In light of recent events, and to err on the side of caution, global security is encouraging everyone to avoid wearing or carrying Facebook-branded items at this time.” The memo reportedly does not mention the outgoing US President’s name.

The report goes on to state that while the memo doesn’t tell the employees that they’re at risk of assault from Trump supporters, “it is easy to read between the lines”. Last week, several Trump supporters stormed the Capitol and stormed the building, damaging property and assaulting officials. Five people, including a police officer, were killed due to the siege.

Also read: Facebook has no plans to lift Trump ban: Sandberg

The US is grappling with the possibility of more armed protests being held across the country, with the BBC reporting on Tuesday that there were reports of armed gatherings at all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20.

In light of the violence displayed last week, it is not surprising that Facebook and other tech companies are apprehending violence directed at their employees. The company’s operations chief Cheryl Sandberg said on Monday that Facebook had no plans to lift the block on Trump. She added that the company was also blocking the use of the term “stop the steal” that has been used to dispute the results of the recently concluded US elections.