Meta Platforms announced on Wednesday that it will pay approximately $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit stems from the company’s suspension of Trump’s accounts following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
In July 2021, Trump sued Twitter Inc, now known as X, as well as Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google, along with their CEOs. He alleged that these companies unlawfully suppressed conservative viewpoints.
After Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol following his speech, which falsely claimed that his election loss was due to widespread fraud, Facebook and Instagram suspended his accounts.
Of the settlement amount, $22 million will be allocated to Trump’s presidential library fund, while the remaining funds will cover legal fees and other plaintiffs involved in the case.
Meta filed a notice about the settlement in a federal court located in San Francisco.
Discussions around the lawsuit, which had stalled since fall 2023, resumed after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in November. The Wall Street Journal first reported this development.
Zuckerberg’s company has been trying to repair its relationship with Trump, who has criticized its political content policies and once threatened Zuckerberg with imprisonment.
On a separate note, former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez received an 11-year prison sentence on Wednesday for his 2024 conviction on bribery and corruption charges.
In a break from its previous practices, Meta announced a $1 million contribution to Trump’s inaugural fund in December.
Additionally, in January, the company ended its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. It also discontinued its U.S. fact-checking program and scaled back restrictions on discussions about controversial topics, including immigration and gender identity.
Meta appointed prominent Republican Joel Kaplan as its chief global affairs officer and added Dana White, the CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close associate of Trump, to its board.
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