Meta settles after its AI tied an activist to the Jan. 6 riot

In August 2024, a screenshot on X showed Meta AI saying that conservative activist Robby Starbuck took part in the January 6 Capitol riot. The chatbot also linked the activist to QAnon. The activist denies both and says they were in Tennessee that day. On April 29, 2025, they sued Meta for defamation in Delaware state court. The suit sought $5 million in damages, plus punitive damages and an injunction. Meta's chief global affairs officer apologized on X. They said an earlier fix had not addressed the underlying problem. On August 8, 2025, the two sides settled. The only disclosed term: the activist would advise Meta on political bias and hallucinations in its AI.