Meta has agreed to pay Donald Trump $25 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit over the suspension of his Facebook and Instagram accounts following the January 6 Capitol riots.
The settlement reported Wednesday, includes $22 million that will go towards funding Trump’s presidential library, with the remainder covering legal fees and payments to other plaintiffs in the case.
This development marks a significant concession by Meta, which had initially suspended and then banned Trump from its platforms due to concerns over public safety.
The lawsuit, filed by Trump in 2021, alleged that Meta had engaged in “impermissible censorship” by removing him from the social media platforms.
Meta’s decision to settle the lawsuit comes after the company lifted the final restrictions on Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in July 2024, ahead of the US presidential elections.
The settlement does not require Meta to admit wrongdoing, and the company’s spokesperson confirmed that the parties have reached an agreement to settle the individual claims and resolve the matter.
The payout is the second to Trump in recent months, following a $15 million settlement with ABC News in December 2024 over a defamation lawsuit