Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, has agreed to pay $10 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former US President Donald Trump.
The suit stems from Trump’s deplatforming by the social media giant in the wake of the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots. The decision to settle follows similar actions taken by other tech companies, with Meta agreeing to a $25 million settlement with Trump just last month.
Trump’s legal team argued that the deplatforming amounted to unlawful censorship, especially targeting conservative views. The lawsuit was filed in 2021, shortly after Trump’s account was suspended for allegedly inciting violence. Following the Capitol riots, which were fueled by protests over the 2020 election results, X (then Twitter) cited the risk of further violence as the reason behind the permanent suspension of Trump’s account.
Since purchasing Twitter in 2022, Musk, a vocal supporter of Trump, reinstated the former president’s account on the platform. Musk, who has since renamed Twitter to X, has also become a key ally to Trump in the political arena, making large donations to Trump’s 2024 campaign and playing a significant role in reshaping government efficiency with his appointment to head the Department of Government Efficiency.
The $10 million settlement between X and Trump serves as the second resolution of a legal dispute Trump filed against social media platforms for suspending his accounts. Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, also reached a settlement with Trump over a similar lawsuit, agreeing to pay $25 million. However, Musk’s platform has agreed to pay a lesser amount in comparison.
The agreements with X and Meta reflect a broader trend among major tech companies, many of which have navigated contentious relationships with Trump and his supporters. While these platforms initially defended their decisions to suspend the former president due to the potential for further violence, the settlements represent a shift in how these companies are engaging with Trump’s legal actions.
The settlement further strengthens the relationship between Trump and Musk, who have become political allies and partners in government. As Musk continues to push for reform in government operations, Trump’s legal victory against X signals a changing landscape in the intersection of politics and tech.
Sky News, CNN, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal contributed to this report.
