Social media giant YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit over its suspension of the account of U.S. President Donald Trump following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, court documents showed on Monday.
Of the sum, $22 million will be allocated toward the construction of a White House ballroom promoted by Trump, while the remainder will be distributed among several co-plaintiffs.
YouTube, like other social media platforms, blocked Trump's account in the final days of his presidency, citing the risk of further violence after his supporters stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election victory.
Trump had for weeks claimed – without providing evidence – that the 2020 election was stolen shortly before the riot, inflaming tensions among his supporters.
His accounts remained suspended for up to two years before being reinstated in early 2023. Twitter, rebranded as X under billionaire Elon Musk, restored Trump's account in November 2022.
Trump, reelected to a second term, has since pursued lawsuits against the tech firms. The companies have opted to settle with multimillion-dollar payments.
In January, Meta agreed to pay Trump $25 million, including $22 million earmarked for a planned Trump library. Musk's X settled in February for about $10 million, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
Many of the rioters involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, including attacks on police, have since been pardoned by Trump.
