The social media platform X has agreed to pay approximately $10 million to settle a lawsuit brought by former President Trump over the suspension of his account in 2021. The company, previously known as Twitter, removed Trump from its platform following the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, citing his inflammatory posts. Trump sued, alleging wrongful censorship by tech firms. X’s owner, Elon Musk, reinstated Trump’s account after acquiring the company in 2022 and has shown support for the former president.
The settlement solidifies the relationship between Musk and Trump, with details of the agreement not publicly disclosed. Both parties will pay their own costs, according to court filings. Meta, parent company of Facebook, settled a similar lawsuit with Trump, agreeing to pay $25 million. Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, has also supported Trump financially and made policy changes to allow more types of speech on Meta’s apps.
ABC News and Meta settled defamation lawsuits with Trump, agreeing to pay $15 million and $25 million respectively. The settlement with Meta will see $22 million go towards Trump’s presidential library, with $3 million earmarked for legal fees and other plaintiffs. X did not provide a comment on the settlement. The establishment of a cost-cutting initiative by Musk called the Department of Government Efficiency has further tied him to Trump, reflecting their strong alliance.
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