YouTube agreed Monday to pay President Donald Trump $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit in which he accused the platform of censoring him and others after Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump in July 2021 filed a class-action lawsuit against Google, Meta, and what was then Twitter and its CEOs, alleging unlawful silencing of conservative viewpoints and violations of the First Amendment. While YouTube did not admit fault, the platform will pay Trump $22 million, which has already been designated for the Trust for the National Mall to support construction of the White House ballroom, according to The Hill.
An additional $2.5 million from the settlement will go to a group of Trump supporters, including the American Conservative Union and author Naomi Wolf, Politico reported. (RELATED: Trump Admin Sues Six States For Voter Registration Lists: ‘Compliance With The Law’)
At the time of the case, Trump alleged that his account and others had been suspended by the tech platforms due to pressure from his enemies, including some congressional Democrats and Dr. Anthony Fauci, according to Politico.
In this illustration photo a person reads YouTube blog’s update on US election misinformation in Los Angeles, June 2, 2023. (Photo by CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images)
The win for the president follows Meta’s January agreement to pay $25 million to Trump, settling his lawsuit against the tech giant for suspending his accounts after Jan. 6, 2021. According to the agreement, an estimated $22 million went toward a fund for Trump’s presidential library, with the remainder covering legal expenses and compensating additional plaintiffs involved with the case.
The settlement comes as Google, which is YouTube’s parent company, announced Tuesday it would allow video creators banned for violating political speech guidelines an opportunity to return to the platform.
During the Biden administration, some content creators began speaking out against the COVID-19 vaccine and related mandates. YouTube quickly imposed policies restricting discussions about COVID-19, including treatments.
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee, Google said that creators were removed from the platform for violating guidelines on election integrity and COVID-19 content. The company also said Biden officials “pressed” them repeatedly to remove content that didn’t violate policy but was labeled “misinformation” by the administration.
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