YouTube has agreed to a significant $24.5 million settlement with former President Donald Trump and others whose accounts were suspended following the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. This agreement comes after Trump initiated legal action against the video streaming giant.
The bulk of this settlement, a substantial $22 million, is earmarked for Mr. Trump himself. He intends to allocate these funds towards the Trust for the National Mall and the development of a new ballroom within the White House.
The remaining $2.5 million will be distributed among other plaintiffs involved in the case, including prominent writer Naomi Wolf and the American Conservative Union.
Mr. Trump’s lawsuit targeted Alphabet, the parent company of both YouTube and Google, along with other social media companies. The legal action was a direct response to the platforms’ decision to suspend his accounts in 2021.
As of now, there has been no immediate comment from Mr. Trump’s legal counsel or representatives from YouTube regarding the settlement.
This settlement follows similar agreements reached with other major social media companies. In January, Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, settled a comparable lawsuit with Mr. Trump for $25 million. Furthermore, in February, X (formerly Twitter), under Elon Musk’s ownership, agreed to pay approximately $10 million to resolve its dispute over the suspension of Mr. Trump’s account in 2021.
While X reinstated Mr. Trump’s account shortly after Elon Musk’s acquisition in 2022, YouTube also restored his channel in 2023.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as they become available.