Meta Corporation has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump and others over the suspension of Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021. The agreement was filed in court.
The settlement is the result of direct negotiations between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Trump, according to John Coale, the president’s lawyer, who spoke to Politico. When asked how the settlement came about, Coale replied that he had been working on the deal for a long time and that the elections had likely contributed to the agreement’s success.
As part of the agreement, Meta will donate $22 million to a fund supporting the construction of Trump’s presidential library and an additional $3 million to the four co-plaintiffs of the US president. Meta will not admit guilt as part of the settlement.
Democratic lawmakers in Congress have criticized the agreement. Senator Elizabeth Warren stated, “This looks like bribery and is a signal that corruption has become a part of the rules. After Meta paid, what does Mark Zuckerberg think he can get back in return for his investment?”
Facebook suspended Trump’s account in January 2021, shortly after his supporters stormed the Capitol. In 2023, he was allowed to rejoin the platform.
In the summer of last year, Trump accused Zuckerberg of planning a conspiracy against him and threatened him with life in prison if he were to engage in “something illegal” during the 2024 presidential election. Zuckerberg subsequently acknowledged censorship actions under government pressure, reached out to the Republican, attended his inauguration and began to reform Meta.
The process of settling the lawsuit began in November 2024, when Zuckerberg attended a dinner with Trump at the latter’s Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago.
By the end of the evening, the future US president reminded Zuckerberg of the lawsuit and made it clear that the claims had to be settled before a relationship could be built with him, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
In January, Zuckerberg praised the Trump administration for its support of US tech companies and “the protection of our values.” The businessman added, “This will be an important year to review our relationship with governments.”
Meta reported a 21% increase in revenue for the fourth quarter, reaching $48.4 billion, up from $40.1 billion in the previous year and a 49% increase in profit, reaching $20.8 billion, up from $14 billion in the previous year. This was primarily due to improved algorithms for online advertising, the company explained.