Trump secures $25m payout from Meta in social media ban settlement

Mark Zuckerberg's Meta has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by United States President Donald Trump in 2021 for $25 million, following claims that the tech company unfairly suspended his Facebook and Instagram accounts after the US Capitol riot.

According to The Wall Street Journal, $22 million of the settlement will be directed towards funding Trump's future presidential library, while the remaining amount will cover legal fees and payments to other plaintiffs involved in the case.

Despite the settlement, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger will not admit any wrongdoing regarding the suspensions.

A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the settlement to AFP.

Trump had widely criticised social media platforms for suspending his accounts after the January 6, 2021 insurrection by his supporters, and comments he made that were seen as praising people engaged in the violence.

But he has recently courted tech titans including Zuckerberg and X owner Elon Musk, both of whom attended Trump's presidential inauguration last week in Washington.

Zuckerberg, 40, has expressed support for Trump, 78, and he has tweaked Meta's policies to lift restrictions on some content within the company's apps, which include Facebook, Instagram, Threads and WhatsApp.

Meta would be "restoring free expression on our platforms," Zuckerberg, who reportedly dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November, said this month in announcing a rollback of fact-checking operations.

The settlement is the latest bow by media corporations as they gird for a second Trump presidency.

In December, ABC News agreed to pay a $15 million settlement payment to resolve a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump stemming from on-air comments about him made by a top anchor.

Earlier Wednesday Meta reported its net income soared by 59% to $62.36 billion for the full year.