YouTube to Pay $22 Million in Settlement with Trump

YouTube has agreed to a $22 million settlement in a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump, following the suspension of his account after the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol. The settlement, disclosed in a federal court filing in California on Monday, makes YouTube the latest Big Tech company to reach an agreement with Trump over his wide-ranging legal battles against deplatforming.

The settlement outlines that the funds will be channelled into Trump’s latest construction initiative at the White House, overseen by the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall. According to the filing, the money will specifically support the construction of the White House State Ballroom.

Additionally, YouTube agreed to provide a further $2.5 million to Trump allies, including the American Conservative Union.

In the aftermath of the Capitol riots, major platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter suspended Trump, citing fears he could incite further violence with false claims of election fraud in 2020.

• YouTube suspension date: 12 January 2021
• Reason cited: “Concerns about the ongoing potential for violence”
• Context: More than 140 police officers were injured during clashes with pro-Trump rioters wielding flagpoles, bats, Tasers, bear spray, and other makeshift weapons.

Trump, then 79, pursued legal action, claiming wrongful censorship under what his lawyers called “non-existent, vague and ever-shifting standards.” His lawsuit, filed in July 2021, targeted YouTube and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai directly.

Trump’s claims have drawn scepticism from constitutional experts, who point out that the First Amendment prevents government censorship but does not apply to private companies.

• YouTube’s defence (Dec 2021): “YouTube is not a state actor and its exercise of editorial discretion over its private service does not implicate Plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.”
• Media Matters reaction: Angelo Carusone, the organisation’s president, condemned the deal, calling YouTube’s decision “shameful and shortsighted”, warning it would embolden Trump to pressure media platforms into compliance.

YouTube is not alone in settling disputes with Trump. Since his return to office, several tech and media companies have agreed to pay out in lawsuits that many legal experts deem questionable at best.

The settlements come at a time when Google and its parent Alphabet face far larger challenges. A federal court in Virginia is currently weighing a government request to break up Alphabet’s advertising technology business, a move that could redefine the company’s future.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ongoing legal and political manoeuvres continue to place Big Tech firms in difficult positions—balancing their commercial interests against the reputational risks of capitulating to his lawsuits.