Meta Agrees to Pay Trump $25M to Settle Social Media Ban Lawsuit

WASHINGTON: Meta has agreed to give the sum of $25 million to US President Donald Trump to resolve a lawsuit he filed in 2021. He alleged that Meta had unfairly stopped him from Facebook and Instagram in the wake of the riot at the US Capitol riot.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the settlement of the lawsuit brought by Meta and its executive, Mark Zuckerberg, which was viewed as a win for Trump.

According to those who are who know the agreement it is believed that according to Journal said, $22 million of the money will be put towards the construction of the future library of President Trump while the remaining will be used to pay legal costs and settlements to the other defendants involved in this case.

Meta of the agreement won’t admit guilt for suspending Trump’s account.

A spokesperson from Meta verified the agreement to AFP.

Trump has been widely criticized by websites on social media for removing his accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021 revolt by his supporters, as well as his comments were interpreted as praise for those involved in the violence.

However, he has been courting tech giants like Zuckerberg and X CEO Elon Musk. Both of them attended the inauguration of President Trump this week in Washington.

Zuckerberg has endorsed Trump and modified Meta’s policies to ease restrictions on certain content in the company’s apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp.

Meta is “restoring free expression on our platforms.” Zuckerberg, who was reportedly dining in a restaurant with Trump at the president’s Florida residence in November, declared this month when he announced the end of fact-checking.

This settlement marks the latest move from media firms as they brace for another Trump presidency.

In December, ABC News agreed to $15 million to settle a lawsuit for defamation filed by Trump due to remarks on air about him that a prominent anchor made.

On Wednesday, earlier in the day, Meta reported that its net earnings increased by 59 percent to $62.36 billion over the whole year.