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Meta Agrees to $25M Settlement with Trump Over Account Suspension

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Meta Agrees to $25M Settlement with Trump Over Account Suspension

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to a $25 million settlement with former President Donald Trump, resolving a lawsuit stemming from the suspension of his social media accounts after the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, according to NBC News.

The settlement, filed in a federal court in San Francisco, includes an additional $22 million allocated for Trump’s presidential library and legal expenses.

Meta, through spokesperson Andy Stone, stated that the agreement does not involve any admission of wrongdoing by the company.

The settlement marks a significant shift in Meta’s approach to content moderation and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, aligning more closely with the previous Trump administration.

Notably, the company has modified its policies to permit language that could insult the LGBTQ+ community and has ended its independent U.S. fact-checking program. Instead, Meta plans to adopt a “community notes” system similar to that used by X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk.

In a further alignment with Trump, Meta has promoted Joel Kaplan, a longtime Republican and former White House Chief of Staff, to chief of global policy, CNN reports.

This move follows a broader pattern of tech companies navigating legal settlements with Trump, who has recently won the 2024 election. For instance, in December 2024, ABC settled with Trump for $15 million over allegations of defamation by anchor George Stephanopoulos.

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, has faced criticism for his about-face regarding Trump. Despite his previous outspoken stance against the January 6 attacks and Trump’s actions, Zuckerberg was visibly present at Trump’s inauguration on January 20 and even hosted a celebratory party for him hours later.

This change has not gone unnoticed, drawing remarks from various public figures, including Jesse Eisenberg, who portrayed Zuckerberg in the 2010 film “The Social Network.”

During a recent podcast, Eisenberg expressed disappointment over the company’s direction, particularly the decision to scrap the fact-checking program, stating it made it harder for him to defend Zuckerberg.

The unfolding developments at Meta have ignited a debate about the influence of social media in politics and the responsibilities of tech giants in moderating content and shaping public discourse.

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