YouTube has settled a lawsuit by former President Donald Trump over the platform’s suspension of his account after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, agreeing to pay millions that include $22 million (about 18.7 million euros) to build a new ballroom in the White House.
The settlement also allocates $2.5 million to be divided among other plaintiffs, including the conservative organization ACU. Alphabet did not comment on the reason for the settlement.
Trump sued YouTube after the platform suspended his account following the Jan. 6 riots. YouTube said content on his channel was “of concern because of the continued risk of violence.”
Other major tech companies previously settled similar suits by Trump after suspending his accounts. Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, paid about 21 million euros. Twitter, now X, settled for about 8.5 million euros. YouTube and Meta restored Trump’s accounts in 2023; he returned to X in 2022 after Elon Musk took over the company.
Legal experts said the companies would likely have had a strong legal position if they had not settled. “They had the law on their side,” Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond, told The New York Times. He added the companies “seem to want to win the government’s favor.”
Last week YouTube said content creators previously suspended for violating rules around misinformation about COVID-19 and the 2020 U.S. presidential election would be allowed to return, and that it is relaxing moderation guidelines.
Other media companies have also reached settlements with Trump. Paramount paid about 13 million euros over an interview with Kamala Harris on 60 Minutes; Trump said the editing was done so that his opponent would look good in the 2024 presidential election.
