YouTube to pay $24.5m, settling suit on 2021 Trump account suspension

Case tied to US Capitol riots; tech company follows Meta and X in reaching deals

20250929N Capitol riot

An explosion caused by a police munition is seen while supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump riot in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021.

(Reuters) -- Alphabet-owned YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit that U.S. President Donald Trump brought against the company over the suspension of his account following the January 2021 U.S. Capitol riots, a court filing showed on Monday.

Trump filed lawsuits against Twitter, now known as X, and Facebook owner Meta as well as Alphabet's Google and their chief executives in July 2021, alleging they unlawfully silenced conservative viewpoints.

Both Meta and X agreed earlier this year to pay to settle the lawsuits.

Under the settlement, $22 million will be paid on Trump's behalf to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the construction of a $200 million ballroom that Trump is building at the White House.

The rest of the settlement payment will go to other plaintiffs in the case including the American Conservative Union.

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