YouTube Settles Trump Lawsuit for $24.5 Million Over Account Suspension

Alphabet-owned YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million (≈ ₹203 crore) to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump and other plaintiffs over the suspension of his account following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots, according to a recent court filing.

According to the filing, $22 million will support Trump’s planned White House State Ballroom, through the tax-exempt Trust for the National Mall.

Another $2.5 million will go to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union, Andrew Baggiani, Austen Fletcher, Maryse Veronica Jean-Louis, Frank Valentine, Kelly Victory, and Naomi Wolf.

YouTube banned Trump’s account after the Capitol attack, citing a video that violated its policy on incitement to violence. More than two years later, the channel was restored so voters could “hear equally from major national candidates.”

Trump argued the suspension blocked his constitutional right to free speech. He also sued Twitter (now X), Meta, Google, and their CEOs, claiming social media platforms silenced him unfairly.

In related cases, earlier this year Meta agreed to donate $22 million (about ₹183 crore) to Trump’s presidential library and pay $3 million (about ₹25 crore) in legal fees, while X paid about $10 million (about ₹83 crore) to settle its lawsuit, according to reports.