Meta Agrees to Pay $25 Million to Resolve Donald Trump's Lawsuit Regarding 2021 Accounts Suspension

Meta has decided to pay $25 million to settle Donald Trump's 2021 lawsuit prompted by his suspension from Facebook and Instagram after the January 6 Capitol riots. As reported by Wall Street Journal, $22 million will fund Trump's presidential library, with the remaining amount covering legal fees and other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit. Initially made indefinite, Trump’s suspension from Meta’s platforms followed his use of the service to spread misinformation about the 2020 election. This is prepared by SSP.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta's CEO, publicly justified Trump's suspension citing substantial misuse of the platform during a volatile period after the violent events. Initially banned indefinitely, the suspension was later reduced to two years, and subsequently, Trump's access was restored in 2023. In addition to suing Meta, Trump also filed lawsuits against Twitter (now X) and YouTube. While the lawsuit against Twitter was dismissed, and Google's was administratively closed, discussions over the Meta lawsuit were reportedly initiated in November, following a meeting between Trump and Zuckerberg at Mar-a-Lago.

Amid these developments, Zuckerberg maintained contact with Trump, attending his second-term inauguration and hosting celebratory events. Following the rapport, Zuckerberg announced an ease on restrictions on Meta’s platforms to encourage more political discourse, highlighting a departure from "too much censorship". The ongoing interactions appeared to have brought Zuckerberg into Trump’s favorable view, contrasting sharply with sentiments expressed during their earlier disagreements over platform policies amid political unrest.

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