Meta reaches $25 million settlement with Trump over social media ban

Meta has agreed to a $25 million settlement with President Donald Trump, resolving a lawsuit in which Trump accused the company of unlawfully censoring his social media accounts following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to a letter from Meta's attorneys, the agreement includes a $22 million donation to Trump’s presidential library and $3 million in legal fees.

"I write to inform the Court that the parties have reached an agreement to settle the named plaintiffs' individual claims and resolve this matter," the letter stated.

The lawsuit, originally filed in July 2021, alleged that Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, unfairly silenced Trump by suspending his accounts on Facebook and Instagram. Trump contended that the company, in coordination with Democratic lawmakers, engaged in a deliberate effort to suppress his political voice. The complaint specifically argued that Facebook had arbitrarily applied its self-imposed "Community Standards" to justify the ban.

The settlement follows recent efforts by Zuckerberg to mend his relationship with Trump. Zuckerberg, who attended Trump’s presidential inauguration earlier this month, has also made multiple visits to Mar-a-Lago. Additionally, Meta has donated $1 million to Trump's campaign, disbanded its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, and revamped its fact-checking policies.

In a recent conversation with podcast host Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg expressed regret over the company’s past fact-checking approach, stating, "It really is a slippery slope, and it just got to a point where it's just, OK, this is destroying so much trust, especially in the United States, to have this program."

This settlement marks a significant shift in the ongoing debate over social media moderation and political influence, particularly as Meta continues to recalibrate its policies under Trump’s administration.