Meta
WASHINGTON: Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to U.S. President Donald Trump in order to resolve a lawsuit he filed in 2021. The lawsuit accused the tech giant of unjustly suspending his accounts on Facebook and Instagram following the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. This settlement, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is viewed as a significant victory for Trump.
According to sources familiar with the settlement agreement, $22 million of the payment will be directed towards funding Trump’s future presidential library, while the remaining amount will cover his legal fees and provide payments to other plaintiffs involved in the case.
Despite the financial settlement, Meta has not admitted to any wrongdoing regarding the suspension of Trump’s accounts. A Meta spokesperson confirmed the settlement to AFP.
Trump had long criticized social media platforms for taking action against him after the Capitol riot, citing his comments, which some interpreted as supportive of the violence. The suspensions came after his posts were seen as encouraging the insurrection.
Despite the fallout from these events, Trump has continued to engage with tech leaders such as Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk. Both Zuckerberg and Musk attended Trump’s presidential inauguration, signaling a shift in their relationship with the former president.
Zuckerberg has also publicly expressed support for Trump and has modified Meta’s content policies to allow greater freedom of expression on its platforms.
Recently, he announced that Meta would roll back certain content restrictions, signaling a shift towards restoring what he termed “free expression” on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. This change came after Zuckerberg dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November.
The settlement with Trump is just the latest in a series of high-profile legal battles involving media companies as they prepare for a potential second Trump presidency.
Earlier in December, ABC News also settled a defamation lawsuit with Trump, agreeing to a $15 million payment over comments made by a top anchor.
Meta’s decision to settle the lawsuit comes shortly before it reported a significant financial boost. The company announced that its net income for the year had increased by 59%, reaching $62.36 billion, underscoring the ongoing financial success of its core business operations despite the legal challenges.
