Meta agrees to pay Trump $25 million to settle lawsuit over social media suspension
By lauraharris // 2025-02-08
Copy
 
  • Meta, Facebook and Instagram's parent company, has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the suspension of his social media accounts after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
  • The lawsuit accused Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of "censoring" Trump's account and violating his First Amendment rights.
  • Meta's settlement does not require an admission of wrongdoing and comes after Zuckerberg's attempts to mend his relationship with Trump, including attending his inauguration and ending DEI programs.
  • The $25 million settlement is expected to fund Trump's presidential library in Phoenix, Arizona, which will serve as a platform for his continued political activism.
  • This settlement follows a similar case where ABC News agreed to pay $15 million to resolve a dispute over a George Stephanopoulos interview, with both settlements being used to fund Trump's foundation and museum.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to pay a total of $25 million to President Donald Trump to settle a four−year−old lawsuit over the suspension of his social media accounts after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. The lawsuit, filed in July 2021, accused Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg of "censoring" Trump's social media account and colluding with Democratic lawmakers to silence him. Trump's legal team claimed that Meta's actions violated his First Amendment rights and that the company had unfairly targeted him. At the time, Meta suspended Trump's accounts for 14 days following the Capitol riot, later extending the suspension indefinitely. Trump's accounts remained locked on Facebook and Instagram until February 2023. (Related: Zuckerberg's meeting with Trump preceded fact-checking policy shift, GOP senator reveals.) However, in a letter submitted to the court, Meta's attorneys wrote, "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 settlement, which does not require Meta to admit wrongdoing in suspending Trump's accounts, comes as Zuckerberg has attempted to mend his relationship with Trump, attending his inauguration earlier this month and making multiple trips to Mar-a-Lago. In line with this, Meta has also donated $1 million to Trump's campaign, ended its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and revamped its fact-checking policy. The $25 million settlement is expected to be a major source of funding for Trump's presidential library, which is currently under construction in Phoenix, Arizona. The library is expected to be a hub for Trump's legacy and a platform for him to continue his political activism.

ABC News agrees to pay $15 million to resolve a dispute with Trump

Meta is the second major corporation to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump since he won his second term in the November election. In December, ABC News announced it would pay $15 million to resolve a dispute in which Trump claimed that ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos had defamed him during an interview. The lawsuit, filed shortly after the March interview, accused Stephanopoulos of defaming him when the news anchor asked Republican Representative Nancy Mace about Trump's treatment of women and the E. Jean Carroll case. At that time, Stephanopoulos mentioned that Trump "has been found liable for rape by a jury," a statement that was disputed by Trump's lawyers, who argued that Stephanopoulos knowingly or recklessly made false and disparaging statements. However, in January, the case was resolved, with the network admitting regret over certain statements made during the broadcast. "We are pleased that the parties have reached an agreement to dismiss the lawsuit on the terms in the court filing," an ABC News spokesperson said in an email. The settlement, released on Jan. 25, mandates that the 15 million be transferred to a Presidential foundation and museum that Trump plans to establish. Additionally, ABC, along with Stephanopoulos, will pay $1 million to cover Trump's legal expenses. The network has also agreed to append a note to an online article about the interview, expressing regret for the "statements" made regarding Trump. Head over to Censorship.news for similar stories. Watch the video below that talks about Zuckerberg embracing "free speech and President-elect Donald Trump."
This video is from the Recharge Freedom channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Zuckerberg's sudden censorship thaw is not free speech.

Zuckerberg's ACCOUNTABILITY ESCAPE STRATEGY includes abandoning his "fact checkers" – however META's AI systems are already programmed to commandeer the same narratives.

Mark Zuckerberg announces $60 BILLION investment in Meta's AI ventures.

Meta CEO Zuckerberg admits Biden administration's censorship demands were ILLEGAL, but Meta failed to fight back.

Mike Adams and Team AGES: Zuckerberg's shift from censorship to freedom could spark TRUTH revolution.

Sources include: TheDefender.org ABCNews.com NBCNews.com Brighteon.com
Copy