YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by former U.S. President Donald Trump over his suspension from the platform after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots.
The settlement makes Alphabet-owned YouTube the last of three major tech companies sued by Trump alongside Meta and Twitter, now X to resolve legal disputes over his removal from their platforms.
Settlement details
According to court filings, YouTube will pay $22 million to the nonprofit Trust for the National Mall to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom.
An additional $2.5 million will go to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union.
When contacted, YouTube declined to comment and instead referred reporters to the court document.
Trump, celebrating the outcome on his social media platform Truth Social, wrote:
“This MASSIVE victory proves Big Tech censorship has consequences.”
Earlier settlements by Meta and X
Meta settled its case with Trump in January for $25 million, while X followed in February with a payment of about $10 million, according to The New York Times.
The three platforms initially suspended Trump’s accounts, citing concerns that his posts during the Capitol riots risked inciting further violence.
At the time, legal experts noted that most lawsuits against tech companies had been dismissed because platforms have broad rights to moderate content.
The settlements highlight a shift in how major tech firms now engage with Trump and his allies.
Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022, Trump’s account was reinstated, followed by Meta in February 2023 and YouTube in March 2023.
Tech leaders have also aligned more closely with Trump since his return to office in January 2025.
Musk, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, and Sundar Pichai of Alphabet all attended his inauguration.
At the same time, companies have scaled back moderation rules once criticized by Republicans as censorship.
Just last week, YouTube announced it would restore some accounts previously banned under its misinformation policies, including channels that disputed the results of the 2020 election.
The company said it “values conservative voices” and recognizes their role in shaping civic discourse.