Meta to pay Trump $25mln in settlement over Jan. 6 account suspension

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
Today 08:17

In the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Facebook suspended Trump’s accounts, citing his use of the platform to spread false claims of election fraud and repeatedly insist he had won the 2020 election.

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The Meta logo is seen at the Vivatech show in Paris, France, June 14, 2023. (AP)

Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit with US President Donald Trump, stemming from the company's decision to suspend his accounts following the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

The settlement, first reported by The Wall Street Journal and later confirmed by a Meta spokesperson, resolves the legal dispute initiated by Trump in 2021.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the majority of the settlement—$22 million—will be allocated to funding Trump’s presidential library. The remaining amount will cover legal fees and compensate other plaintiffs involved in the case.

Trump's lawsuit against Facebook, now under its parent company Meta, was one of several legal actions he took against social media companies in response to their actions after January 6.

Trump also sued YouTube, Twitter (now X), and their respective executives. A federal judge dismissed his case against Twitter, while the lawsuit against Google was closed in 2023, though it remains eligible for reopening.

In the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Facebook suspended Trump’s accounts, citing his use of the platform to spread false claims of election fraud and insist he had won the 2020 election.

Breaking from its previous hands-off approach toward political figures, Facebook revised its policies to allow for the suspension of public officials in "exceptional cases" involving civil unrest and violence.

At the time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the move, stating, "We believe the risks of allowing the president to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great." Under the new policy, Trump received the maximum penalty—an indefinite suspension from Facebook and Instagram.

Trump denounced the decision, stating, "They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win. Our Country can’t take this abuse anymore!"

He later added, "Next time I’m in the White House there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife. It will be all business!"

A few months later, Facebook reduced Trump’s suspension to two years. By 2023, his access to the platform was fully reinstated, a move mirrored by Twitter and YouTube.

In a notable shift, Zuckerberg has since rekindled his relationship with Trump, meeting with him multiple times in recent months and even attending his inauguration from the front row. During the inaugural celebrations, Zuckerberg also hosted a black-tie event in honor of the president.

Settlement discussions reportedly began in November when Zuckerberg dined with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Trump reportedly insisted that the lawsuit needed to be resolved before Zuckerberg could be "brought into the tent." WSJ further reported that Zuckerberg returned to Mar-a-Lago in early January for a full day of mediation.

Shortly after his trip to Florida, Zuckerberg made a striking public announcement, stating that Meta would lift restrictions on political content across its platforms. Echoing Trump’s rhetoric, he argued that online censorship had gone too far and declared, "It’s time to get back to our roots."