WASHINGTON — Google’s YouTube has agreed to pay President Donald Trump $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit claiming the video-sharing platform unlawfully censored him by suspending his account after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The settlement concludes a contentious legal battle that Trump initiated in 2021 against YouTube’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. YouTube did not admit wrongdoing but committed to reviewing its content moderation policies for political figures.
Harmeet Dhillon, a lawyer representing Trump in the case, said that the settlement sends a clear message that Big Tech can’t silence voices it disagrees with. She added that the funds would support Trump’s ongoing political efforts.
The lawsuit stemmed from YouTube’s suspension of Trump’s Google account two days after the Capitol riot when supporters stormed the building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory. Trump argued the ban violated his First Amendment rights. Courts have generally ruled that private companies aren’t bound by constitutional free speech protections.
The settlement includes no changes to YouTube’s algorithms or specific guarantees for Trump’s content, according to the filing. Both sides agreed to cover their own legal costs.
The Federal Communications Commission is expected to weigh in on related issues later this year.
