Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, has agreed to pay approximately $10 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump and other plaintiffs over the platform’s decision to ban him in the wake of the January 6, 2021, US Capitol riot, as per a WSJ report.
Trump initially filed the lawsuit in 2021 against Twitter and its then-CEO Jack Dorsey, alleging the deplatforming violated his rights.
Trump used the platform extensively after losing the 2020 election to spread false claims of voter fraud and to rally supporters to attend the “Stop the Steal” event, which led to the Capitol attack.
Twitter at the time stated that the suspension was necessary to prevent further violence.
Twitter suspended Trump’s account two days after the riots, citing concerns over incitement to violence.
The lawsuit was part of a broader legal effort targeting major social media companies, including Meta (formerly Facebook) and Google, for suspending Trump’s accounts following the Capitol riots.
In November 2022, after acquiring Twitter, Musk reinstated Trump’s account following a public poll, signaling a shift in platform policy under his leadership.
Trump and social media settlements
X will pay about $10 million to settle litigation over the suspension of Donald Trump’s account.
The settlement marks the conclusion of a legal battle that had been appealed after a federal judge dismissed the case in 2022.
Earlier this week, a motion to dismiss the appeal was granted following the agreement, as per the report.
The settlement comes just a month after Meta agreed to pay $25 million to resolve a similar lawsuit regarding Trump’s Facebook account.
Of the amount, $22 million was allocated to Trump’s presidential library. The remaining $3 million was set aside for Trump’s legal fees and other plaintiffs who joined the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Trump’s legal team is reportedly seeking a settlement with Google over its decision to ban him from YouTube after the Capitol riots.
Elon Musk, now heading the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump’s administration, has drawn criticism for his close ties to the president.
In December, ABC News agreed to a $15 million settlement to resolve a defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump.
As part of the agreement, ABC News stated that the settlement amount would be donated to Trump’s future presidential foundation and museum.
Musk and Trump
A close adviser to the president, Musk has expressed strong support for Trump, contributing over $250 million to his campaign.
Since the beginning of Trump’s presidency, Musk has been leading the newly established Department of Government Efficiency, a government cost-cutting initiative.
In this role, Musk has spearheaded efforts to rapidly reduce the size of the federal government.
Representatives from Doge, a team aligned with Musk’s initiative, have been deployed to various departments to monitor spending, while offering millions of federal employees voluntary exit packages.
Additionally, the initiative has moved to freeze federal funding and halt the work of certain agencies, including the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
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