YouTube, owned by Alphabet's Google, has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a 2021 lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump and other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union and writer Naomi Wolf, over the suspension of Trump’s account following the U.S. Capitol riot.
The settlement, detailed in court documents, marks the final resolution of three lawsuits Trump filed against major social media platforms after leaving office.
Sources indicate Google aimed to keep its settlement lower than Meta’s. Of YouTube’s payment, $22 million will go to the Trust for the National Mall to fund a $200 million Mar-a-Lago-style ballroom Trump is developing at the White House, supported by donations from Trump and other contributors. The remaining $2.5 million will be distributed among the other plaintiffs. Attorney fees were not mentioned in the settlement.
Google declined to comment. Since his election victory last fall, Trump has secured over $80 million in settlements from lawsuits against Big Tech and media companies, including a $16 million settlement from Paramount Global in July over a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.