Meta to pay $25m to settle Trump account ban dispute
Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump in 2021, claiming that he was wrongfully censored on Facebook and Instagram following the U.S. Capitol riot. The Wall Street Journal first reported the settlement, which is seen as a win for Trump.
According to sources familiar with the agreement, $22 million of the payment will go toward funding Trump’s future presidential library, while the remainder will cover legal fees and compensation for other plaintiffs involved in the case. Meta, however, will not admit to any wrongdoing regarding the suspensions of Trump’s accounts.
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Trump had strongly criticized social media platforms for suspending his accounts after the January 6th insurrection, which was fueled by his supporters. He was also accused of making comments that seemed to praise the violent rioters. Recently, however, Trump has been building ties with tech figures like Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, and Elon Musk, owner of X. Both attended Trump’s presidential inauguration earlier this month.
Zuckerberg has shown support for Trump, and recently adjusted Meta’s policies to ease some content restrictions across its platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. He stated that Meta is “restoring free expression” on its platforms, further noting changes to reduce fact-checking operations.
This settlement adds to the broader trend of media corporations settling legal disputes involving Trump as the prospect of his return to the presidency looms. Earlier this month, ABC News reached a $15 million settlement to resolve a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump following comments made by a top anchor.
On the same day the settlement was announced, Meta reported a 59% rise in its net income for the year, totaling $62.36 billion.
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