By Frank Ulom
WASHINGTON (CONVERSEER) – YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by former U.S. President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
According to details of the settlement, $22 million will be channelled into a project to build a new White House ballroom, while the remaining $2.5 million will support groups that joined the lawsuit, including the American Conservative Union.
Part of wider settlements
The agreement comes after similar deals between Trump and other major tech companies. Earlier this year, Meta paid $25 million to resolve a related suit, while X (formerly Twitter), now owned by Elon Musk, agreed to a $10 million settlement.
All of Trump’s social media accounts, previously suspended after the Capitol unrest, have since been reinstated.
The lawsuits centred on Trump’s claim that leading technology companies engaged in unfair censorship of conservatives. At the time of the suspensions, the platforms argued his posts risked inciting further violence in the aftermath of the January 6 events.
Shift in tech stance
The settlement also reflects a broader shift in relations between Trump and Silicon Valley. Tech chiefs from Alphabet, Meta, and X attended Trump’s recent inauguration, signalling improved ties.
YouTube has also announced it will reinstate some previously banned accounts that were removed for spreading false information about COVID-19 and the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
