Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill issued the following statement on Meta’s latest gift to Trump in a settlement over the platform’s decision to suspend the then-candidate for using Facebook to incite the January 6th insurrection:

“Four years ago, Donald Trump used Facebook to incite a violent, deadly insurrection against the U.S. government — it’s a well-documented fact and one that Mark Zuckerberg has personally acknowledged. In the aftermath of that day, Meta joined other tech giants in suspending Trump from their platforms to prevent more violence. It was a rare show of responsible leadership from Silicon Valley that today is revealed to be no more than an empty gesture as Meta backtracks with a multi-million dollar donation to Trump’s presidential library.

In the weeks following the 2024 election, Meta has gone out of its way to show fealty to Trump and join his far-right clique – gutting DEI programs, ending fact-checking, carving out exemptions for anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, and decrying attacks on so-called “free speech.” This settlement is the latest example of that – a signal that Meta is willing to do whatever it takes to appease this administration, even if it means abdicating their responsibility to protect users and the public from the harms facilitated by their platforms.” 

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Accountable Tech is a non-profit organization advocating for digital justice by reining in Big Tech’s threats to society and democracy with legislative, regulatory and structural solutions. Through strategic initiatives and creative campaigns, Accountable Tech is challenging the industry’s toxic business model in order to protect data privacy, preserve the health of democracy, and create safer online platforms. We are leading the movement to advance a better, more human-centered digital future, and tech for the common good. To learn more, visit accountabletech.org.