The reported payout will fund the former US president’s future presidential library.
Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, has reportedly settled a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump for $25 million. Trump alleged censorship after Meta suspended his Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021.
This settlement, part of Trump’s wider legal action against social media platforms following the January 6th Capitol riot, allocates $22 million to Trump’s presidential library fund. The remainder covers legal fees and compensates other plaintiffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Meta hasn’t publicly commented on the settlement terms, but sources confirmed the agreement to US media. While Meta denies wrongdoing, the settlement reportedly followed protracted litigation and discussions intensified by a November 2024 meeting between CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
In a move seemingly aimed at improving relations with Trump, Meta recently discontinued its US third-party fact-checking program. In a video, Zuckerberg cited excessive political bias and a net loss of trust as reasons for the change.
Zuckerberg also linked the decision to the recent political climate and Trump’s electoral win, stating a shift towards prioritizing free speech and a reduction in censorship.
Additionally, Meta has ended its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs and is revising hiring practices that previously considered applicant demographics.
Trump initially sued Twitter, Google, and Facebook in 2021 for censorship, arguing that banning a sitting president set a dangerous precedent. His suit against Twitter was dismissed in May 2022 during Elon Musk’s acquisition.
Meta reinstated Trump’s accounts in early 2023 under specific content moderation guidelines to prevent further rule violations.
Last month, ABC News similarly settled a defamation lawsuit with a $15 million “charitable contribution” to Trump’s presidential library. Presidential libraries, originating with Franklin D. Roosevelt, archive presidential papers and materials. The Donald J. Trump Presidential Library, the 15th, is currently a digital archive with no announced physical location.