Staff Reports
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has decided to cough up $25 million to settle a lawsuit brought forth by none other than President Donald Trump. This comes after Trump was banished from Facebook and Instagram following the January 6th protests back in 2021. While some might see this as a quiet attempt to move on, it’s hard to ignore the fact that President Trump is getting a sweet deal out of a situation that many on the left are still trying to forget.
On Wednesday, Meta filed notice of this settlement in San Francisco, roughly four years after the legal kerfuffle began. Of that $25 million, a hefty $22 million will be directed toward establishing Trump’s future presidential library—because who wouldn’t want to fund a repository of the greatest tweets and Instagram posts in history? The remaining funds will settle legal fees and cover other plaintiffs in the case, giving Meta a swift exit without admitting any wrongdoing. Perhaps they’ve realized that standing on shaky ideological ground doesn’t pay off in court.
#Meta agrees to $25 million #settlement with #Trump over #SocialMediaBans and #FreeSpeech claims 💸 https://t.co/kjzoATn9rU pic.twitter.com/Z0YQwHSRIB
— Economic Times (@EconomicTimes) January 31, 2025
Meta spokesman Andy Stone chimed in to highlight that this settlement isn’t an admission of guilt. Surely, that’s a solid strategy for the tech giant, which has already faced enough backlash from both the right and left over its content moderation practices. While the White House has remained mum on the issue, it’s reported that President Trump himself inked the deal right from the comfort of the Oval Office.
While Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg danced around discussing the lawsuit, he did hint at a new strategy for engaging with government entities moving forward. It seems optimism is in the air, as Zuckerberg proclaimed 2025 will be a transformative year for their relationship with Washington. It’s a stark turn from the intense political heat Zuckerberg faced during Trump’s first term, particularly considering his earlier dealings that awkwardly intertwined big tech and ballot harvesting efforts that many conservatives still remember all too well.
Zuckerberg’s apparent shift in mindset comes as a result of a tumultuous history with leftist politics. Once eager to dabble in the political arena, he’s reportedly become disenchanted by the backlash from both sides of the aisle. The arena of politics can be a grim and unpredictable place, especially when faced with the scrutiny that tech giants like Meta attract. Thank goodness they’ve finally introduced the “community notes” feature, allowing users to fact-check one another rather than relying on the dubious fact-checkers of yore. One can only wonder if that newfound freedom will create a more balanced dialogue or further ignite the cultural division already deep-seated in American society.
The timing of this settlement is also interesting, closely trailing another multi-million dollar payout made by ABC News to Trump over a false claim propagated by network host George Stephanopoulos. Seems like the media world is learning the hard way that poking the bear can lead to more than just a scratch. Maybe it’s time for them to reconsider their approach while there’s still time, especially with a growing number of Americans tired of the game being played with their values and beliefs. As Meta reconfigures its stance in this new political landscape, conservative Americans will be watching closely, waiting to see if this will be a mere glimmer of hope or a fleeting moment in the endless war over culture and politics.
