Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has reportedly agreed to a $10 million settlement with former U.S. President Donald Trump over a lawsuit related to his account suspension following the January 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
This makes X the second major social media company to settle with Trump after Meta Platforms, which paid $25 million last month to resolve a similar case.
Trump’s Legal Battle Against Social Media Giants
Trump had filed lawsuits against X (formerly Twitter), Meta (Facebook), and Alphabet (Google’s parent company) in July 2021, alleging that they unlawfully silenced conservative voices. His lawsuit targeted both the companies and their respective CEOs at the time, including Jack Dorsey (Twitter), Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook), and Sundar Pichai (Google).
Initially, Trump’s legal team considered letting the lawsuit against X fade, given his close ties with Musk, who reportedly donated $250 million to his election campaign. However, they ultimately proceeded with the settlement, WSJ reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Possible Settlement With Google
Following the settlements with X and Meta, Trump’s legal team is now expected to negotiate a settlement with Google, which had banned Trump from YouTube after the Capitol riot.
Neither X, Jack Dorsey, Alphabet, nor the White House have responded to requests for comment regarding the settlements.
