YouTube has agreed to pay $22 million to settle a lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump after the platform suspended his account following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
According to a settlement notice filed in a California federal court on Monday, the payment will be channeled through the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit overseeing Trump’s latest construction project — the proposed White House State Ballroom.
In addition to the $22 million, YouTube will disburse $2.5 million to Trump allies, including the American Conservative Union.
BSGISTNEWS reports that Trump, who was banned across several major platforms after January 6 over concerns he might incite further violence with false claims of voter fraud, accused YouTube and its parent company, Alphabet, of wrongful censorship. His lawyers argued that the suspension was carried out under “non-existent or broad, vague and ever-shifting standards.”
YouTube, however, maintained that it acted within its rights as a private company, stressing in a 2021 court brief that it is “not a state actor” and its editorial discretion does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
The decision to suspend Trump came after violent clashes at the Capitol left more than 140 police officers injured as rioters attempted to block the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
Watchdog group Media Matters criticised the settlement, with its president Angelo Carusone describing YouTube’s move as “shameful and shortsighted,” warning that it could embolden Trump to pressure media and tech platforms.
The settlement adds YouTube to a growing list of media and tech firms that have reached financial agreements with Trump since his return to office. In February, Elon Musk’s X settled a lawsuit with Trump for $10 million, while Meta paid $25 million in January, with $22 million earmarked for his future presidential library.
Media companies have also struck deals, including Paramount Global, which paid $16 million to settle Trump’s case over an interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris. The agreement coincided with the FCC’s approval of Paramount’s $8 billion takeover by Skydance.
Meanwhile, YouTube’s parent company Google faces broader legal challenges, including a federal trial in Virginia where the U.S. government is seeking the breakup of its ad technology business.
