Social media platform X, previously known as Twitter and Meta, has reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump over his de-platforming following the January 6 insurrection of 2021. The platform, now owned by Elon Musk, has agreed to pay to settle the lawsuit, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Following the January 6 riot, several social media companies, including X, suspended Trump from their platforms citing the risk of further incitement of violence. Twitter, in a statement on January 8, 2021, announced the permanent suspension of Trump's account after reviewing his recent tweets.
Court filings this week revealed that both parties filed a motion to dismiss the appeal and agreed to pay their own costs, with the dismissal being granted on Monday. Source has reached out to lawyers for both parties and X for comment on the settlement.
Trump initially sued Twitter and its former CEO, Jack Dorsey, in July 2021, alleging unfair censorship of his speech. In May 2022, Judge James Donato of the US District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed the lawsuit, stating that Twitter did not violate Trump's First Amendment rights to free speech. Trump then appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where the case was pending.
With the platform now under new ownership by Elon Musk, who was appointed by Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, significant changes have taken place. Musk completed the purchase of Twitter in October 2022 and subsequently reinstated Trump on the platform.
