Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms, has reportedly agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump, who accused the company of censorship after it suspended his Facebook and Instagram accounts in 2021. The settlement includes $22 million allocated to Trump’s presidential library fund, with the remaining amount covering legal fees and compensating other plaintiffs. This resolution follows years of legal battles and growing scrutiny over social media companies’ role in moderating political speech.

Trump’s lawsuit against Meta was part of a broader legal offensive targeting major social media platforms, including Twitter (now X) and Google, after they banned him in the wake of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. These bans were justified by the companies on the grounds of incitement and violating their policies regarding violent content and misinformation.

Trump argued that these actions constituted an unjustified form of censorship and an attack on free speech, stating, “If they can do it to a sitting US president, they can do it to anyone.” His case against Twitter was dismissed in May 2022, during Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform, which ultimately led to Trump’s reinstatement on Twitter (now X). However, the legal battle against Meta continued until this settlement.

While Meta has not publicly commented on the settlement details, sources familiar with the matter confirmed the agreement to multiple US media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the story on January 29. The agreement reportedly includes:

The settlement comes amid significant changes within Meta’s policies. Earlier this month, the company discontinued its third-party fact-checking program in the US, a move........

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