Meta Platforms and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, have agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump over his suspension from Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to a court filing Wednesday.

The notice, submitted in California federal court, does not disclose the full terms of the deal. However, a Meta spokesperson confirmed The Wall Street Journal’s report that most of the settlement money will go toward a fund for Trump’s presidential library.

Trump’s Lawsuit Targeted Social Media Bans

Trump’s lawsuit was one of three legal actions he filed in July 2021 against Facebook (Meta), Twitter (now X), and YouTube, challenging their decisions to ban him from their platforms. The former president accused the tech giants of unfairly silencing him and his supporters under a "misguided reliance upon Section 230" of the Communications Decency Act.

The lawsuit alleged that social media companies had coordinated with government agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to suppress his views on the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump further claimed that Democratic lawmakers coerced platforms to remove him, citing public statements by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other politicians advocating for his suspension.

According to the lawsuit, Trump’s removal from Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube hindered his ability to "act as head of the Republican Party" and promote other GOP candidates.

Zuckerberg’s Meeting With Trump Led to Settlement Talks

Settlement negotiations reportedly began after Zuckerberg met with Trump in Florida in November 2023, in an effort to mend relations with the former president. The lawsuit had been stalled since that year, and discussions ultimately led to Meta agreeing to pay $25 million to resolve the case.

The cases were transferred to the Northern District of California, where the companies argued that their terms of service required disputes to be handled in that jurisdiction.

Legal Representation and Reactions

• Donald Trump: Represented by Andrei Popovici of the Law Office of Andrei D. Popovici PC, John Q. Kelly of Ferguson Cohen LLP, Michael J. Jones and Ryan S. Tougias of Ivey Barnum & O'Mara LLC, Richard Polk Lawson of Gardner Brewer Hudson PA, and John P. Coale.
• Meta and Mark Zuckerberg: Represented by K. Winn Allen, Craig S. Primis, Michael P. Esser, and Gabrielle Durling of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

An attorney for Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment.