Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump regarding the suspension of his social media accounts following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
The settlement, filed in federal court in San Francisco, allocates $22 million toward Trump's presidential library fund, with the remaining $3 million covering legal fees and other plaintiffs involved in the case. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed the terms while noting the company admits no wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
The lawsuit originated after Meta suspended Trump's Facebook and Instagram accounts in January 2021, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg citing concerns that Trump was using the platforms to undermine the peaceful transfer of power to then President-elect Joe Biden. The accounts remained suspended until February 2023.
This marks the second major corporate settlement with Trump since his recent election victory. In December, ABC paid $15 million to resolve a defamation dispute involving anchor George Stephanopoulos.
Following Trump's election win, Meta has made several policy changes, including ending its U.S. fact-checking program and revising content moderation policies. Zuckerberg has actively worked to rebuild relations with Trump, attending his inauguration and hosting a celebration in his honor.
The settlement comes amid broader shifts in Meta's approach to content moderation and its relationship with the new administration. Joel Kaplan, a longtime Republican, has been promoted to lead the company's global policy efforts, reflecting Meta's evolving strategy under the current political landscape.