Meta To Pay Trump $25m Over Account Suspension
Donald Trump has reached a legal settlement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, that will see the social media giant pay approximately $25 million to Trump. The settlement stems from a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021 over the suspension of his accounts following the January 6 Capitol riots.
Trump’s lawsuit named both Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, as defendants. The suspension had been imposed by Meta in response to the riots, with the company announcing a ban on Trump’s accounts for at least two years. However, in July 2024, Meta lifted the restrictions on Trump’s accounts as part of its preparations for the upcoming US presidential election.
Of the $25 million settlement, approximately $22 million will be allocated to a fund for Trump’s presidential library, while the remainder will cover legal fees and compensation for the other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit. Notably, Meta did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Trump had been vocal in his criticism of Zuckerberg and Facebook, referring to the platform as “anti-Trump” since 2017. The tension between the two parties escalated further following the account bans, with Trump calling Facebook “an enemy of the people” in 2024. Despite this, Zuckerberg visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida after Trump’s election win and donated $1 million to his inauguration fund, signaling a potential thaw in their relationship.
In addition to the legal settlement, Meta has been defending its $65 billion investment in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly after the rise of the Chinese AI app DeepSeek. Zuckerberg expressed confidence in Meta’s approach to AI, especially its focus on open-source AI, which he believes is crucial for maintaining the US’s position at the forefront of AI development.
Despite recent fluctuations in tech stocks following DeepSeek’s surge, Meta’s stock rose after it reported better-than-expected financial results. Zuckerberg remains committed to ensuring that the US leads in the AI industry, emphasizing the importance of open-source models and a global standard in AI development.
