In a significant development, YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump. The lawsuit stemmed from the suspension of Trump’s account following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
As part of the settlement, $22 million will be directed to the Trust for the National Mall to support the construction of a new White House State Ballroom, a project championed by Trump. An additional $2.5 million will be distributed among other plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit, including the American Conservative Union and author Naomi Wolf.
YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement. The company reinstated Trump’s account in 2023, citing the need for voters to hear from major national candidates during the election period.
This settlement concludes a series of legal challenges initiated by Trump against major tech companies over account suspensions. Similar lawsuits against Meta (Facebook) and X (formerly Twitter) have also been resolved, with Meta agreeing to pay $25 million and X settling for $10 million.
