YouTube Reaches $24.5m Settlement in Trump Lawsuit Over Capitol Riot Ban
YouTube has agreed to pay former U.S. president Donald Trump $24.5 million to resolve a lawsuit he filed after the platform suspended his account in the aftermath of the January 6 Capitol riot.
The settlement, confirmed on Monday, follows similar agreements reached earlier this year with Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Trump had accused major tech firms of silencing conservative voices, arguing that his suspension amounted to political censorship.
According to terms of the deal, YouTube will direct $22 million to the Trust for the National Mall, which is raising funds to build a new White House ballroom. The remaining $2.5 million will be distributed among groups and individuals who supported Trump’s lawsuit, including the American Conservative Union.
The suspension was originally imposed in 2021 when platforms said Trump’s rhetoric risked fueling further violence. His accounts have since been reinstated.
YouTube’s parent company Alphabet is the latest Silicon Valley giant to settle with Trump. In January, Meta paid $25 million, earmarking most of it for Trump’s presidential library, while X followed in February with a $10 million agreement.
The settlements underscore a shifting relationship between Trump and major social media firms, which have softened their moderation policies amid Republican criticism of alleged bias. In a recent statement to lawmakers, YouTube said it values conservative voices and intends to restore accounts previously banned for misinformation related to Covid-19 and the 2020 election.
