President Donald Trump has settled his lawsuit against Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, ending a legal battle over the suspension of his social media accounts following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots.
According to reports, Meta will not admit wrongdoing, but the settlement includes a $22 million contribution to Trump’s presidential library fund. The remaining amount will cover legal expenses and compensation for other plaintiffs who joined the lawsuit.
Meta banned Trump’s accounts for at least two years, citing violations of platform policies. However, in July 2024, the company lifted all restrictions ahead of the US presidential elections.
Zuckerberg and Trump: A Changing Relationship
Despite years of tension between Trump and Zuckerberg, their relationship has recently warmed. In November 2024, following Trump’s election victory, Zuckerberg visited Mar-a-Lago, signaling a potential reconciliation.
A month later, Meta donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Zuckerberg attended the January 2025 inauguration alongside other tech billionaires.
For years, Trump had criticized Facebook, calling it “anti-Trump” in 2017. His frustration escalated in March 2024, when he labeled the platform “an enemy of the people”.
Meanwhile, Twitter, now X, permanently suspended Trump before Elon Musk reinstated his account in 2022 following a user poll.
Meta Defends AI Investments Amid Chinese Competition
As tech stocks reacted to the rise of Chinese AI firm DeepSeek, Zuckerberg defended Meta’s $65 billion AI investment.
During an investor call on Wednesday, he acknowledged DeepSeek’s rapid success but maintained that Meta’s open-source AI strategy is critical for US dominance in the field.
“DeepSeek’s rise has only strengthened our conviction that we’re investing in the right areas,” Zuckerberg said.
Many US tech stocks fell after DeepSeek’s breakthrough, but Meta’s shares defied the trend, rising in after-hours trading following strong quarterly earnings.
AI and the Future of Meta
Meta is betting big on AI-driven infrastructure, believing it will provide a “major advantage” in global competition.
Zuckerberg reaffirmed his belief that smart glasses will eventually replace traditional eyewear, emphasizing that 2025 will be a critical year for Meta’s hardware division.
Additionally, he plans to revive Facebook’s cultural relevance, as the platform lags behind Instagram and TikTok in engagement.
Meta also announced it will end fact-checking, instead relying on community notes to regulate misinformation.
Despite concerns over AI spending, Meta reported $48 billion in revenue for the final quarter of 2024, a 21% increase from the previous year. Quarterly profits surged by 49%, reaching over $20 billion.
