Meta Agrees to $25 Million Settlement in Trump’s Censorship Lawsuit

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump.

The settlement, totaling $25 million, brings to a close the legal battle that began in 2021 after Trump’s accounts were suspended on Facebook and Instagram following the January 6th Capitol attack.

This move also reflects a shift in Meta’s relationship with Trump, signaling a potential softening of tensions between the two parties.

Breaking: President Trump has signed settlement papers that are expected to require Meta to pay ~$25 million to resolve a 2021 lawsuit that he brought after the company suspended his accounts, per people familiar with the agreement.

From @AnnieLinskey @rebeccaballhaus pic.twitter.com/sCmzii26Zg

— Meghan Bobrowsky (@MeghanBobrowsky) January 29, 2025

$25 Million Settlement over Censorship Claims

Meta will pay $25 million to settle Trump’s legal claims over censorship, which stemmed from the suspension of his Facebook and Instagram accounts in January 2021.

Trump had argued that Meta wrongly banned him from its platforms following the events of January 6th, 2021, when a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Trump’s legal team believed this action violated his free speech rights and sought compensation for the damages he claimed were caused by his account’s suspension.

Also Read: American Airlines Plane Collision with Army Helicopter Near Reagan National Airport

Settlement Breakdown and Allocation

The settlement amount is set at approximately $25 million. Of that, $22 million will go toward Trump’s presidential library, while the remaining funds will be allocated for legal fees and expenses of the other plaintiffs involved in the case.

According to reports, Meta has not admitted to any wrongdoing in the matter, although they have agreed to this payment to bring the lawsuit to a close.

Trump officially signed the agreement on January 29, 2025. The signing took place in the White House, and sources close to the agreement revealed that Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, and Trump discussed the lawsuit in November 2024.

This conversation marked a pivotal moment in the relationship between the two, as Zuckerberg has recently softened his stance toward Trump, who had been highly critical of him in the past.

Also Read: Borrowers Could Receive 2.25 Million Over Loan Collections Dispute

Meta’s Shift in Stance Towards Trump

Meta’s decision to settle comes after a prolonged period of tension between the company and Trump. His accounts were reinstated in January 2023, but Trump’s legal team argued that a “chilling effect” remained on the accounts, making them subject to stricter penalties for repeat offenses.

Despite this, the fact that the accounts were restored is seen as a significant change in how Meta is dealing with Trump’s presence on its platforms. Meta has since taken steps to ease the restrictions placed on Trump’s social media activities.

Meta’s Growing Relations with Trump and His Allies

In the months leading up to the settlement, Zuckerberg and Trump seemed to have mended their relationship. This is a major shift from the past when Trump had accused Zuckerberg of deserving severe punishment.

Recently, Zuckerberg has publicly praised Trump, despite not endorsing his re-election bid. Zuckerberg also made headlines when he praised Trump after the former president survived an assassination attempt.

Furthermore, Zuckerberg’s recent moves, including dropping Meta’s fact-checking program, appear to be connected to his efforts to distance Meta from the controversy surrounding Trump’s allegations of bias.

Trump’s allies are also benefiting from this thaw in relations. UFC President Dana White, a close friend of Trump’s, was recently appointed to Meta’s board of directors, another sign that Zuckerberg is moving toward a friendlier approach with Trump’s circle.

These actions are fueling speculation that Meta is seeking to strengthen its ties with Trump and his supporters, particularly as the 2024 U.S. election approaches.

Also Read: How DeepSeek’s AI Model Triggered Nvidia’s $600 Billion Market Loss

A Pattern of Settlements with Trump

This settlement between Meta and Trump is not an isolated event. In January 2025, ABC News also settled with Trump over a defamation lawsuit, agreeing to pay $15 million to resolve the case.

As part of that deal, a significant portion of the payment was designated for Trump’s presidential library. Trump has also been involved in negotiations with CBS over a similar defamation lawsuit, reportedly seeking $10 billion in damages for its coverage of him.

Trump’s legal strategies and financial settlements with various media companies suggest that he is focusing on securing resources for his future political endeavors, including his presidential library.

These settlements have led some critics to argue that they may set a troubling precedent for the media industry, making it more vulnerable to legal actions from powerful figures.

Also Read: Yinson Holdings Raises $1 Billion to Expand Oil and Gas and Renewable Energy Projects

Background: Trump’s Suspension from Meta Platforms

Trump’s suspension from Facebook and Instagram in January 2021 came after the Capitol riot, which many critics saw as a direct result of his inflammatory rhetoric.

At the time, Zuckerberg stated that Trump had used his platform to “condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters.”

This suspension marked the beginning of a broader crackdown on Trump’s presence on social media platforms. Both Facebook and Instagram took steps to limit his ability to post, and his Twitter account was also suspended shortly after the attack.

In the months following the Capitol attack, Trump’s social media platforms remained under heightened scrutiny. In 2021, Facebook imposed a two-year suspension on Trump, a ban that was later lifted in January 2023.

However, Facebook implemented additional guardrails to ensure that Trump’s accounts would be subject to stricter penalties if he violated platform policies again.

Despite these actions, Trump’s legal team continued to argue that Meta’s suspension was politically motivated and that it had a negative impact on his ability to communicate with his supporters.

The recent settlement with Meta suggests that the company is willing to address these claims, even if they have not publicly admitted to any wrongdoing.

Follow Mahamana News For More…