YouTube settles Trump lawsuit for $24.5 million over account suspension – WSJ

YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump and other plaintiffs over the suspension of his account in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to court filings reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

The agreement makes YouTube, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, the last of three major social media companies to settle cases Trump launched in 2021, the WSJ reported.

Meta Platforms, the parent of Facebook, settled for $25 million earlier this year, while X (formerly Twitter) reached a $10 million settlement in 2023.

Under the YouTube agreement, $22 million will go to the Trust for the National Mall to support the construction of the ballroom under construction at the White House.

Another $2.5 million will be distributed among other plaintiffs in the case, including the American Conservative Union and writer Naomi Wolf.

YouTube suspended Trump’s account in January 2021, citing concerns about incitement of violence after the Capitol riot.