YouTube has agreed to pay $22 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump. The case arose after YouTube suspended Trump’s account following the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The settlement was confirmed in a court filing on Monday.
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The $22 million will be used for Trump’s White House construction project through a nonprofit called Trust for the National Mall. This organization supports building the White House State Ballroom.
In addition, YouTube will pay $2.5 million to several Trump allies, including the American Conservative Union.
Trump shared the news on his Truth Social platform, calling the settlement a victory for free speech. His social media accounts had been blocked by YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter after January 6 due to concerns about promoting violence and false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Legal experts had previously said Trump’s claims were weak because the First Amendment restricts government censorship, not private companies. Critics of the settlement, like the group Media Matters, warned it could encourage efforts to pressure media and online platforms.
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Other tech companies, including Elon Musk’s X and Meta, have also settled similar lawsuits with Trump in recent years.
