YouTube to Pay $24.5 Million in Settlement of Trump Lawsuit

GATEOFWISE.COM

YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump after his account was suspended on the platform due to the January 6, 2021 riots at the U.S. Capitol.

The platform, owned by Google, follows other major social media companies such as Meta and X, which also settled lawsuits brought by Trump over suspending his accounts.

According to court documents, YouTube will pay $22 million to settle the case, with the funds allocated to the Trust for the National Mall, an organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the National Mall in Washington. The remainder will go toward construction projects for the White House State Ballroom.

The company will also provide an additional $2.5 million to settle related claims brought by others, including the American Conservative Union, a group supporting the “Make America Great Again” movement.

The New York Times reports that Meta agreed to settle Trump’s lawsuit in January by paying $25 million, while X paid nearly $10 million in February.

When these platforms suspended Trump’s accounts, they explained that his posts about the Washington riots could incite further violence. However, at the time, legal experts argued that such lawsuits lacked merit, since the companies had the right to set and enforce their own rules.

These settlements come as social media platforms continue showing interest in repairing relations with Trump and his Republican Party since his return to power in January.

After Elon Musk acquired Twitter, later rebranded as X, in late 2022, he reinstated Trump’s account. Meta and YouTube followed suit in 2023.