YouTube, the popular video platform owned by tech giant Alphabet, has reached a settlement in a significant lawsuit. This agreement ends a case brought by former President Donald Trump. He sued the company after his account was suspended. Court papers filed on Monday revealed the deal is worth $24.5 million, about 792 million Thai Baht.
The dispute started in January 2021. After the chaotic events at the U.S. Capitol building, YouTube paused Trump’s ability to upload new videos. He later claimed the company, along with others, was unfairly silencing conservative voices. This settlement makes Google the last of three major tech firms to resolve similar legal challenges from Trump. Both Meta, which owns Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter, settled their cases earlier this year.
Part of YouTube’s settlement specifies where the money will go. About $22 million, paid on Trump’s behalf, is headed to the Trust for the National Mall. This non-profit group focuses on protecting and improving America’s national parkland. Documents suggest these funds will support a future presidential library fund for Trump. This library aims to include an 8,361 square meter banquet hall, a project valued at $200 million.
Other plaintiffs in the case will receive the remaining funds. These include the American Conservative Union, known for organizing the Conservative Political Action Conference, and American author Naomi Wolf. Despite the large payment, YouTube has not admitted any wrongdoing. The company also confirmed that this agreement will not change its product features or current policies.
Trump’s YouTube account was never completely removed. Instead, it was only prevented from publishing new content for a time. The platform restored his account in 2023, allowing him to post videos again. The earlier settlements followed a similar pattern. Meta agreed to pay around $25 million in January, with $22 million earmarked for Trump’s presidential library fund in Miami, Florida. X settled its case in February for about $10 million. These details emerged from court documents, as reported by Reuters.