Zuckerberg's Meta to pay Trump massive settlement after banning him on Facebook, Instagram
Tech giant Meta is expected to pay President Donald Trump tens of millions of dollars in a lawsuit settlement after the company banned Trump from its social media platforms just before the end of his first term in office.On Wednesday, spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed that Meta had agreed to pay $25 million. The lion's share of that sum — $22 million — is expected to be given to Trump's future presidential library, while another $3 million will go toward legal fees and other plaintiffs, NBC News reported.Meta has already filed the settlement notice in federal court in San Francisco. According to the conditions of the settlement, Meta does not have to admit wrongdoing. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.Trump threatened that Zuckerberg would 'spend the rest of his life in prison' if he interfered with the 2024 election.The case relates to the melee at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, just two weeks before Trump left office. Immediately following the incident, Trump was banned on most social media platforms, including Meta's Facebook and Instagram.At the time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed that Trump had attempted "to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden."In July 2021, Trump filed a series of lawsuits against various social media companies for banning his accounts. The suit against the platform then called Twitter was tossed, and the suit against Google was "administratively closed" but could be reopened, the Wall Street Journal reported.Roughly 18 months later, with Trump gunning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Meta lifted the suspension on Trump's accounts, though with some "guardrails" in place to prevent "repeat offenses." "The public should be able to hear what politicians are saying so they can make informed choices," the company said in January 2023.During the campaign, Trump continued to call out social media platforms for apparently engaging in censorship and malicious political activism. In a book released earlier this year, Trump even threatened that Zuckerberg would "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he interfered with the 2024 election.Zuckerberg, meanwhile, had lately changed his tone regarding Trump. After the then-candidate was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, Zuckerberg claimed the photograph of Trump pumping his fist and yelling, "Fight!" was "one of the most bada** things" he had ever seen.A month later, he pledged to end the controversial "Zuck Bucks" scheme that affected the 2020 presidential election. He also admitted in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) that Facebook spiked the Hunter laptop story and claimed that Facebook had been "pressured" to censor Americans during the Biden-Harris administration.After the November election, Zuckerberg had frequent contact with Trump, visiting the then-president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago home on at least two occasions, in part to discuss the pending lawsuit against Meta.Meta also donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, and Zuckerberg attended several events on Inauguration Day, including the prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church and the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.On the evening of Inauguration Day, Zuckerberg posted to Facebook a photo of himself and his wife, Priscilla Chan, with the caption "optimistic and celebrating" along with an American flag emoji.Perhaps to make further inroads with the new administration, Meta has also ditched its DEI policies and signed Trump ally Dana White of UFC fame to its board of directors.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Tech giant Meta is expected to pay President Donald Trump tens of millions of dollars in a lawsuit settlement after the company banned Trump from its social media platforms just before the end of his first term in office.
On Wednesday, spokesperson Andy Stone confirmed that Meta had agreed to pay $25 million. The lion's share of that sum — $22 million — is expected to be given to Trump's future presidential library, while another $3 million will go toward legal fees and other plaintiffs, NBC News reported.
Meta has already filed the settlement notice in federal court in San Francisco. According to the conditions of the settlement, Meta does not have to admit wrongdoing. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump threatened that Zuckerberg would 'spend the rest of his life in prison' if he interfered with the 2024 election.
The case relates to the melee at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, just two weeks before Trump left office. Immediately following the incident, Trump was banned on most social media platforms, including Meta's Facebook and Instagram.
At the time, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg claimed that Trump had attempted "to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden."
In July 2021, Trump filed a series of lawsuits against various social media companies for banning his accounts. The suit against the platform then called Twitter was tossed, and the suit against Google was "administratively closed" but could be reopened, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Roughly 18 months later, with Trump gunning for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, Meta lifted the suspension on Trump's accounts, though with some "guardrails" in place to prevent "repeat offenses." "The public should be able to hear what politicians are saying so they can make informed choices," the company said in January 2023.
During the campaign, Trump continued to call out social media platforms for apparently engaging in censorship and malicious political activism. In a book released earlier this year, Trump even threatened that Zuckerberg would "spend the rest of his life in prison" if he interfered with the 2024 election.
Zuckerberg, meanwhile, had lately changed his tone regarding Trump. After the then-candidate was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July, Zuckerberg claimed the photograph of Trump pumping his fist and yelling, "Fight!" was "one of the most bada** things" he had ever seen.
A month later, he pledged to end the controversial "Zuck Bucks" scheme that affected the 2020 presidential election. He also admitted in a letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) that Facebook spiked the Hunter laptop story and claimed that Facebook had been "pressured" to censor Americans during the Biden-Harris administration.
After the November election, Zuckerberg had frequent contact with Trump, visiting the then-president-elect at his Mar-a-Lago home on at least two occasions, in part to discuss the pending lawsuit against Meta.
Meta also donated $1 million to Trump's inauguration fund, and Zuckerberg attended several events on Inauguration Day, including the prayer service at St. John's Episcopal Church and the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol.
On the evening of Inauguration Day, Zuckerberg posted to Facebook a photo of himself and his wife, Priscilla Chan, with the caption "optimistic and celebrating" along with an American flag emoji.
Perhaps to make further inroads with the new administration, Meta has also ditched its DEI policies and signed Trump ally Dana White of UFC fame to its board of directors.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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