By Charles Maduka
YouTube has agreed to pay $22 million to settle a lawsuit filed by United States President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The agreement was disclosed in a court filing on Monday.
The video-sharing platform, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, is the latest tech giant to settle with Trump after similar legal disputes over his removal from social media platforms.
According to the filing, the $22 million will go through a nonprofit, Trust for the National Mall, to support the construction of a new White House State Ballroom. YouTube will also make additional payments of $2.5 million to some Trump allies, including the American Conservative Union.
Trump sued YouTube and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai in 2021, alleging that his suspension was wrongful and based on vague and shifting standards. YouTube had blocked him from uploading new content, citing concerns about potential violence after the Capitol attack.
Major platforms like Facebook and Twitter also banned Trump after January 6, when pro-Trump supporters stormed Congress during the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
While legal experts have described Trump’s claims as weak because the First Amendment restricts government censorship, not private companies, several tech and media firms have opted for settlements since his return to office.
Media watchdog group Media Matters criticised YouTube’s decision, calling it “shameful and shortsighted” and warning that such settlements could embolden Trump’s efforts to pressure media and online platforms.
The settlement comes amid ongoing regulatory challenges for Google and YouTube, including a federal case in Virginia seeking the breakup of Google’s ad technology business.
Earlier this year, Elon Musk’s X settled a Trump lawsuit for about $10 million, and Meta agreed to pay $25 million to settle another complaint, with $22 million earmarked for Trump’s future presidential library.
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