Image credit: Grok/X

Some things do come to an end! If you agree to the new conditions...

Even super-companies like Meta - the owners of your everyday clicks on Facebook and WhatsApp - are in line with Donald Trump's mission.

Meta has agreed to a $25 million settlement with new U.S. president Trump, closing the chapter on a legal battle that began after the social media giant banned the former U.S. president following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Trump sued Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2021, accusing them of politically motivated censorship after his Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended.

The settlement, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, will see $22 million allocated to a fund for Trump’s presidential library, with the remainder covering legal fees and compensating other plaintiffs. Meta will not admit wrongdoing as part of the deal.

The tech giant initially imposed a two-year ban on Trump but fully reinstated his accounts in July 2024, months before the U.S. presidential election. Following Trump’s victory in November, Zuckerberg made a high-profile visit to Mar-a-Lago, signaling a thaw in their once-hostile relationship. In a further shift, Meta donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund, and Zuckerberg was seen among global tech elites at the event earlier this month.

Trump, once a fierce critic of Zuckerberg and Facebook—calling the platform “anti-Trump” in 2017 and an “enemy of the people” as recently as March 2024—has remained active on social media, though he now leans more on X (formerly Twitter), which reinstated his account after Elon Musk took over in 2022.

Meanwhile, Meta is doubling down on artificial intelligence, defending its massive $65 billion investment as it faces new competition from the meteoric rise of Chinese AI app DeepSeek. While many U.S. tech stocks tumbled in response, Meta’s shares have remained resilient, surging in after-hours trading after stronger-than-expected earnings.

On a call with investors, Zuckerberg reaffirmed Meta’s commitment to open-source AI, arguing that American leadership in the field is essential. He also sees 2025 as a pivotal year for Meta’s smart glasses, predicting they could eventually replace traditional eyewear.

Amid shifting tech trends, Zuckerberg is also focused on reviving Facebook’s “cultural relevance” as platforms like Instagram and TikTok dominate younger audiences. He recently defended Meta’s controversial move to end fact-checking, replacing it with community-driven moderation, and assured investors that advertiser demand remains strong.

Meta’s latest earnings report underscores its momentum, with revenue hitting $48 billion in the last quarter of 2024, up 21% year-over-year. Profits soared 49% to over $20 billion, proving that while AI spending is costly, Zuckerberg is betting big on the future—and winning.

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