Meta has reached a $25 million settlement with Donald Trump, resolving a lawsuit he filed in 2021 over the removal of his Facebook and Instagram accounts after the U.S. Capitol riot. The company announced the agreement on Wednesday.
The Wall Street Journal first revealed details of the settlement, which involved Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. The outcome is seen as a legal win for Trump.
According to individuals familiar with the matter, the Journal reported that $22 million of the payout will be allocated to Trump’s planned presidential library, while the remainder will cover legal costs and compensate other parties in the case.
As part of the resolution, Meta will not concede any wrongdoing in relation to the account suspensions.
A company representative confirmed the settlement to AFP.
Trump had frequently criticized social media platforms for blocking his accounts following the events of January 6, 2021, arguing that his remarks were unfairly interpreted as endorsing the violence that took place.
Lately, he has been building ties with influential tech leaders, including Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk, both of whom attended his presidential inauguration last week in Washington.
Zuckerberg has taken steps to align Meta’s policies more closely with Trump’s stance, easing restrictions on certain types of content across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp.
Meta would be “restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg stated this month while announcing a rollback of fact-checking policies. Reports indicate he met with Trump for dinner at the former president’s Florida residence in November.
The settlement is part of a broader trend of major media corporations adjusting to the possibility of another Trump presidency.
In December, ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit Trump filed over statements made by one of its leading anchors.
On Wednesday, Meta reported a 59 percent jump in annual net income, reaching $62.36 billion.
