YouTube to settle Trump's 2021 lawsuit over suspended account, agrees to pay $24.5 million
PTC News Desk: Alphabet-owned YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account following the January 2021 Capitol riots, according to a court filing on Monday.
The settlement makes Google the last of the three major tech firms to resolve Trump’s July 2021 lawsuits, in which he accused them of unlawfully suppressing conservative voices. Trump had also sued Twitter (now X), Meta (Facebook’s parent), and their CEOs.
Earlier this year, Meta and X reached settlements—Meta paying around $25 million in January and X about $10 million in February.
Under YouTube’s settlement, $22 million will go toward the Trust for the National Mall, which the filing says supports construction of a $200 million ballroom Trump is building at the White House. The 90,000-square-foot (8,361 sq m) project is expected to be completed well before his term ends in January 2029.
The remaining funds will be distributed to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union, which organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), and author Naomi Wolf.
YouTube did not admit liability and will not alter its products or policies as part of the deal. Trump’s account was not permanently removed in 2021, but he was barred from posting new videos until the suspension was lifted in 2023.
Meta’s settlement directed $22 million toward a fund for Trump’s planned presidential library in Miami, Florida.
- With inputs from agencies
