Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump, claiming that Facebook and Instagram wrongfully censored him after the US Capitol riot. The settlement, confirmed by Meta on Wednesday, resolves the legal dispute with Trump, who accused the tech giant of unfairly suspending his accounts in the wake of the January 6th insurrection.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, $22 million of the settlement will be allocated to fund Trump’s future presidential library, while the remaining $3 million will cover legal fees and payments to other plaintiffs involved in the case. Importantly, Meta did not admit any wrongdoing in the suspensions of Trump’s accounts.
Trump had criticized social media platforms, particularly Facebook and Instagram, for their decision to suspend his accounts after the riot, citing comments he made that were perceived as supportive of the violence. In the wake of the settlement, Trump has continued to engage with tech leaders, including Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk. Zuckerberg, who dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November, has expressed support for Trump and recently announced a rollback of certain platform restrictions, including loosening policies on content moderation.
The settlement comes as media corporations brace for a potential second term of a Trump presidency. In December, ABC News also reached a $15 million settlement with Trump over a defamation lawsuit.
This settlement follows a period of increasing tensions between Trump and social media companies, many of which have come under scrutiny for their role in moderating content and enforcing rules around political speech.
