Meta is to pay $25 million to United States President Donald Trump. The company agreed to pay the amount to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump in 2021, according to people familiar with the matter.

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The lawsuit was filed by the president after Meta suspended his accounts following the US Capitol attack. Trump has signed settlement papers that require Meta to pay roughly $25 million to resolve the lawsuit, reported The Wall Street Journal.

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The $25 mn agreement

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According to the report citing people familiar with the agreement, $22 million of the payment will fund the presidential library of Trump, while the remaining will cover the legal fees and other payments related to the case.

In the settlement, Meta will not admit wrongdoing for suspending Trump’s accounts. A spokesperson for Meta confirmed the agreement to news agency AFP.

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Trump criticised the Meta platforms for suspending his account after his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. His comments were also seen as praising the people involved in the violence.

Tech mogul supports Trump

Trump had recently courted tech moguls including X owner Elon Musk along with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The two were present during his inaugural ceremony on January 20.

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Zuckerberg has also shown support for the new president. Reportedly, he dined with Trump at his Florida estate in November last year. The CEO recently announced an overhaul of Meta policies, lifting restrictions on content on its platforms including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.

Meta rolled back its fact-checking operations, saying it would be “restoring free expression on our platforms”, said Zuckerberg. 

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The latest settlement is yet another bow by a media corporation as Trump has assumed the office for the second time.

In December, ABC News settled an agreement with Trump by agreeing to pay $15 million to resolve a defamation lawsuit by Trump after a top anchor made comments about him on-air.

(With inputs from agencies)