In a surprising twist to draw close to a long legal battle, YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the suspension of his channel following the unrest at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021.
This agreement ends one of several high-profile legal battles Trump initiated against major tech platforms after being removed from their services during the final days of his previous term. While YouTube denies any wrongdoing, this settlement spares both parties a prolonged court fight that was set for October 6 in California.
A substantial portion of the settlement, $22 million, will be donated to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit that plans to utilize the funds for constructing a new White House State Ballroom, a project backed by President Trump himself. The remaining $2.5 million will be divided among co-plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union and writer Naomi Wolf.
The highlight is that YouTube is not required to alter any of its content moderation policies or platform features as a result of this agreement.
This settlement also marks the conclusion of a trio of lawsuits Trump filed against major tech companies in 2021. Earlier this year, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, settled for $25 million, while X—formerly Twitter—agreed to a $10 million settlement.
In 2023, Trump’s YouTube channel was reinstated after being frozen following the Capitol unrest.
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