Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to pay Trump R463 000 000 to settle lawsuit over account suspension
Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta Platforms has agreed to pay approximately R463 000 000 to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump after his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended following the January 6 Capitol attack.
Of the settlement, R408 000 000 will be allocated to Trump’s presidential library fund, with the remaining amount covering legal fees and compensations for other plaintiffs.
Meta has not admitted to any wrongdoing in this agreement.
Discussions leading to the settlement reportedly began after Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, met with Trump in November at Mar-a-Lago, aiming to mend ties with the then-incoming administration.
This lawsuit was part of a series of legal actions Trump initiated against major social media companies following his 2020 election loss.
Initially, the lawsuit faced slim chances of success, but its revival and prolonged litigation eventually led to this substantial settlement.