SRINAGAR: Google’s YouTube has agreed to pay USD 24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account after the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack — pushing the total value of settlements by major technology and media companies to more than USD 75 million.
According to court filings in the Northern District of California, USD 22 million of YouTube’s settlement will be contributed to the Trust for the National Mall and towards the construction of a new White House ballroom, as directed by Trump. The remaining USD 2.5 million will go to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union and writer Naomi Wolf.
The New York Times reported that YouTube froze Trump’s account after the Capitol riot, citing fears his videos could fuel more violence. Trump sued in October 2021, claiming wrongful censorship. His lawyer John Coale told the paper: “If he hadn’t been re-elected, we’d be in court forever. Then the president gets re-elected and things look a lot better.”
YouTube’s payout follows Meta’s USD 25 million settlement in January over his Facebook suspension and Elon Musk’s X paying USD 10 million in February for Twitter’s 2021 ban. Media companies have also settled: Paramount paid USD 16 million in July, and ABC News agreed in December to a USD 15 million deal.
Legal analysts say the settlements reflect more than legal pragmatism. Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor, told the Times they looked like “buying influence,” adding that firms “do seem like they are currying favor with the presidential administration.”
Alphabet, YouTube’s parent company, earned nearly USD 10 billion in YouTube ad revenue in the second quarter, making the settlement a relatively small cost. Still, the agreement marks a shift: Sundar Pichai and Google co-founder Sergey Brin recently attended a White House dinner with Trump on artificial intelligence. Brin’s partner, influencer Gerelyn Gilbert-Soto, hailed the deal online, writing: “Well deserved. This kind of censorship was an abomination.”
YouTube reinstated Trump’s account in 2023, joining other platforms in easing restrictions. Last week it said it would also reinstate creators banned for Covid and 2020 election misinformation, while relaxing content moderation amid pressure from Republican lawmakers.
For Trump, the more than USD 75 million in settlements represent both vindication and political leverage. For the companies, they are the cost of closing battles with a president who has made his fight against “censorship” central to his political identity.
