Meta to pay $25 million to settle Trump lawsuit over social media ban

Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump regarding his account suspensions following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, according to Associated Press.

The settlement details indicate $22 million will go toward the non-profit managing Trump's future presidential library, with the remaining amount covering legal fees and other expenses.

The Wall Street Journal was the first news outlet to report this settlement agreement.

The development comes as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other technology industry leaders are working to improve relationships with the newly inaugurated Trump administration.

According to AP, Zuckerberg met Trump at his Florida club in November, where the lawsuit was discussed, sparking months of negotiations that led to the resolution.

Meta has also made a $1 million donation to Trump’s inaugural committee, and Zuckerberg was among several high-profile business leaders, including Google’s Sundar Pichai, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk, who received prime seating during Trump’s swearing-in last week.

Before Trump’s inauguration, Meta announced it would stop fact-checking on its platform, a move long sought by Trump and his allies.

Trump’s legal battles with media companies

Trump’s lawsuit against Meta was part of a broader legal push against major media and tech companies. In a similar case, ABC News recently settled a defamation lawsuit by agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump’s presidential library after anchor George Stephanopoulos made inaccurate claims about a civil ruling against him in the E. Jean Carroll case.

The network also paid $1 million in legal fees, according to AP.

Trump has also filed lawsuits against CBS News and The Des Moines Register, alleging misleading coverage that he claims amounted to election interference. Both media organizations have denied wrongdoing.