Meta Platforms has agreed to pay approximately $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump, stemming from the suspension of his accounts following the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
The settlement resolves allegations that the company unlawfully silenced conservative viewpoints.
Trump’s legal action, filed in July 2021, targeted Meta, Twitter (now X), and Alphabet Inc.’s Google, as well as the companies’ executives.
The lawsuit claimed these companies censored his speech, particularly in the aftermath of the Capitol assault, which was fueled by his repeated false claims about election fraud.
The settlement will direct $22 million to a fund for Trump’s presidential library, with the remaining funds allocated for legal fees and other plaintiffs involved in the case. Meta filed a notice about the agreement in a federal court in San Francisco.
Discussions about the case, which had stalled since the fall of 2023, reignited following a dinner between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in November.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story, the meeting signaled an effort by Zuckerberg’s company to mend relations with the former president, who has repeatedly criticised Meta’s political content policies and even threatened Zuckerberg with imprisonment.
In a notable shift from its previous stance, Meta also made a $1 million contribution to Trump’s inaugural fund in December.
This move followed broader changes within the company, including the termination of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and the cessation of its US fact-checking initiatives.
Additionally, Meta reduced restrictions on discussions surrounding divisive topics like immigration and gender identity.
