YouTube has agreed to a $22 million settlement over a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump after the company suspended his account following the Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, as revealed in a court document on Monday.
The video-sharing platform, part of Google’s parent company Alphabet, is the latest major tech company to reach a settlement with Trump, who has been challenging his widespread deplatforming after the January 6 events.
The $22 million will support Trump’s new construction project at the White House through a nonprofit called Trust for the National Mall, which focuses on restoring and enhancing the National Mall, specifically to aid in building the White House State Ballroom, as noted in the settlement filed in a California federal court.
In addition to the $22 million for Trump’s ballroom project, YouTube also agreed to pay $2.5 million to several Trump allies, including the American Conservative Union.
Trump shared a message on his Truth Social platform late Monday, declaring “this MASSIVE victory proves Big Tech censorship has consequences,” and stated that Republicans “fought for free speech and WON!”
Major platforms removed Trump after January 6 due to concerns he might incite further violence with false claims about voter fraud causing his loss to Joe Biden in 2020.
YouTube blocked Trump from posting new content on January 12, 2021, citing “concerns about ongoing potential for violence.” This was part of a broader action taken by Facebook and Twitter, which also suspended Trump’s accounts after the January 6 incident.
The 79-year-old Republican filed lawsuits against social media companies and YouTube, alleging wrongful censorship.
Trump’s legal team argued he was removed based on “non-existent or broad, vague, and ever-shifting standards,” as stated in the original July 2021 complaint against YouTube and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Trump’s posting capabilities were restricted following clashes that injured over 140 police officers, as pro-Trump rioters armed with flagpoles, bats, hockey sticks, and other weapons aimed to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s victory.
Free speech violation?
Legal experts consider Trump’s claims against tech companies weak, pointing out that the First Amendment of the US Constitution prevents government, not private entities, from limiting speech.
YouTube stated in a December 2021 response to Trump’s brief that the platform “is not a state actor, and its editorial discretion over its private service does not affect Plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.”
Media watchdog group Media Matters criticized the settlement, suggesting it could lead to ongoing First Amendment challenges under Trump.
“YouTube’s concession is disgraceful and shortsighted. Folding now will only embolden Trump’s attempts to suppress dissent by bringing media and online platforms under control,” the group’s president Angelo Carusone told AFP.
Nonetheless, tech and media companies have opted for settlements with Trump since his return to office, anticipating action from Washington on significant issues impacting their industries.
Key considerations facing YouTube and Google/Alphabet include a trial in Virginia where a federal court is assessing a government request to break up the search engine giant’s ad tech business.
In February, Elon Musk’s X settled for around $10 million in a lawsuit brought by Trump against the company and its former CEO Jack Dorsey.
In January, shortly after Trump’s inauguration, Meta agreed to a $25 million settlement for his complaint, with $22 million allocated to fund his future presidential library.
Media companies have also reached settlements with Trump in legally questionable cases initiated by the former president.
For instance, Paramount Global agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Trump over an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris that Trump claimed was unfairly edited. The settlement occurred as Paramount sought approval for its acquisition by Skydance.
The Federal Communications Commission approved the $8 billion Paramount takeover in July.
