YouTube Agrees to $24.5 Million Settlement with Trump Over Account Suspension Following Capitol Riots

YouTube, owned by Alphabet, has reached a settlement agreement of $24.5 million in the lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump regarding his account suspension following the January 2021 Capitol riots, according to Monday's court filing.

This settlement marks the final resolution among the three major tech companies that Trump sued in July 2021, alleging they unlawfully silenced conservative viewpoints.

Previously, Trump had filed lawsuits against Twitter (now known as X), Facebook owner Meta, and Google's parent company Alphabet, along with their chief executives.

Earlier this year, both Meta and X agreed to financial settlements to resolve their respective lawsuits.

As part of the YouTube settlement terms, $22 million will be directed on Trump's behalf to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the construction of a $200 million ballroom that Trump is developing at the White House.

The 90,000-square-foot facility (8361.27 square meters) is expected to be completed well before the end of Trump's presidential term in January 2029.

The remaining settlement funds will be distributed to other plaintiffs involved in the case, including the American Conservative Union, which organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference, and American author Naomi Wolf.

Under the terms of the agreement, YouTube has not admitted to any wrongdoing, nor will the company implement any changes to its products or policies.

While Trump did not lose his YouTube account in 2021, he was prohibited from uploading new content. His full access was subsequently restored in 2023.

In similar settlements earlier this year, Meta agreed to pay approximately $25 million in January, with $22 million allocated for Trump's planned presidential library in Miami, Florida. In February, X reached a settlement of around $10 million.