On Wednesday, Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, agreed to a $25 million settlement regarding a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump in 2021, as stated in court documents obtained by YSL News.

According to an initial report from The Wall Street Journal, Meta will pay $25 million in total, with $22 million designated as a contribution to Trump’s presidential library. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed these settlement details to YSL News.

“The involved parties have come to an agreement to resolve the claims made by the individual plaintiffs and put this matter to rest,” Meta attorney Winn Allen noted in a court filing on Wednesday. “A joint stipulation for dismissal with prejudice will be submitted in the upcoming days.”

The lawsuit followed the suspension of Trump’s account on Facebook and other social media platforms after the January 6 insurrection aimed at overturning the outcome of the 2020 election.

NBC News reported that the settlement does not require Meta to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

Settlement aligns with Zuckerberg’s rightward shift

This settlement occurs amidst a shift towards conservative views by Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who began an earnings call with investors on Wednesday by praising the Trump administration for its support of the tech industry and hinted that 2025 would be a pivotal year for transforming the company’s interactions with governments, as reported by NBC News.

On January 10, Meta discontinued its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to better align with the then-upcoming administration and the associated MAGA anti-“woke” movement.

“The term ‘DEI’ has become contentious, as it is perceived by some as favoring certain groups over others,” wrote Janelle Gale, Meta’s vice president of human resources, in a memo to employees obtained by Axios.

Additionally, the company has eased restrictions on hate speech and eliminated fact-checking policies across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Earlier this month, Zuckerberg, who attended Trump’s inauguration, appointed Trump supporter and UFC president Dana White to Meta’s board of directors and promoted prominent Republican Joel Kaplan to lead the company’s global affairs.

Trump recently lauded Meta for its recent actions during a press briefing at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, saying, “I think they’ve made significant progress.” When asked if Meta’s changes were a response to threats he had made towards the company and Zuckerberg, Trump remarked, “Probably.”

Trump’s lawsuit targeted at major tech firms

Trump asserted that his First Amendment rights were infringed upon when he initiated the class-action lawsuit against Facebook, part of a wider critique of social media platforms that barred him.

While the First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech,” it primarily pertains to government entities rather than private companies, although some conservatives have been advocating for broader free speech protections on privately owned platforms.

Facebook suspended Trump’s account for two years and condemned his actions shortly after the insurrection.

“Considering the serious nature of the circumstances leading to Mr. Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions were a major breach of our policies,” Nick Clegg, then-vice president of Meta’s global affairs and communications, stated at that time.

This story has been updated with recent information