Islam Times - Meta Settles Lawsuit with Trump, Agreeing to Pay $25 Million

Islam Times - Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, has reportedly agreed to settle a lawsuit with former US President Donald Trump, paying $25 million after accusations of censorship.

The lawsuit stemmed from Trump’s suspension from Facebook and Instagram in 2021, following the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

The settlement involves $22 million directed to Trump’s presidential library fund, with the remainder allocated for legal fees and compensation for other plaintiffs, according to the Wall Street Journal.

While Meta has not publicly commented on the specifics of the settlement, sources close to the negotiations confirmed the resolution. The decision to settle followed extensive legal battles and a meeting between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump in November 2024.

Although Meta did not admit any wrongdoing, the company has taken steps to repair its relationship with Trump.

This included the discontinuation of its third-party fact-checking program in the US, which Zuckerberg described as "too politically biased" and damaging to trust.

Additionally, Meta has decided to end its diversity, equity, and inclusion [DEI] programs and revise hiring practices that previously focused on applicants' gender and race.

Trump’s legal efforts against major tech companies, which began in 2021, focused on claims of censorship, arguing that the bans on his social media accounts were a threat to free speech.

While lawsuits against Twitter and Google continue, his lawsuit against Twitter was dismissed in 2022.