Thursday January 30, 2025 | TheNewsDESK
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to a $25 million settlement with former U.S. President Donald Trump following his 2021 lawsuit alleging wrongful censorship.
The lawsuit stemmed from the suspension of his accounts after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
The settlement, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, allocates $22 million to fund Trump’s future presidential library, with the remaining amount covering legal fees and payments to other plaintiffs involved in the case.
However, Meta has not admitted to any wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the settlement, which marks a significant outcome for Trump. His accounts were suspended after the Capitol insurrection due to comments perceived as supportive of the violence, sparking widespread criticism of social media platforms for stifling free speech.
In recent developments, Trump has cultivated relationships with tech leaders like Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk.
Both attended Trump’s recent presidential inauguration in Washington, signaling potential shifts in the tech-political landscape. Zuckerberg has also reportedly adjusted Meta’s policies, lifting restrictions on some content within its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
Meta would be “restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg, who reportedly dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November, said this month in announcing a rollback of fact-checking operations.
The settlement is the latest bow by media corporations as they gird for a second Trump presidency.
In December, ABC News agreed to pay a $15 million settlement payment to resolve a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump stemming from on-air comments about him made by a top anchor.
Earlier Wednesday Meta reported its net income soared by 59 percent to $62.36 billion for the full year.
|AFP|
