Video streaming website Youtube has agreed to pay $24.5 million (€20.1 million) to settle a lawsuit filed by US President Donald Trump after the company suspended his account in the aftermath of the Jan 6, 2020 Capitol Hill riot, a court filing showed on Monday.
This makes the Google subsidiary the latest big tech firm to settle a lawsuit with the president over the events of the day.
A total of $22 million will go towards a construction project at the White House through a non profit called Trust for the National Mall. The settlement filing said the NPO is “dedicated to restoring, preserving and elevating the National Mall, to support the construction of the White House State Ballroom.
YouTube has also agreed to pay an additional $2.5 million to a number of pro-Trump organizations and individuals including the American Conservative Union.
The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability, as per the filing. Google did not comment on the reasons for settlement.
What was the lawsuit about?
Major social media platforms removed Trump’s account after January 6, worried he would promote further violence over claims that he lost the presidential election to Joe Biden in 2020 due to voter fraud.
More than 140 police officers were injured on January 6 after pro-Trump rioters clashed and stormed the Capitol building bearing flagpoles, tasers and bear spray.
YouTube blocked Trump from uploading a new video on “concerns about the ongoing potential for violence.”
The businessman turned politician took YouTube, Facebook and Twitter (now X) to court claiming he was wrongfully censored.
Meta has already apid $25 million to settle a similar lawsuit, while X settled its lawsuit for $10 million.
Sundar Pichai, the head of Google’s parent company Alphabet, and Facebook-parent Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg were among the nation’s tech leaders seen directly behind Trump during the inauguration ceremony for his second term in January this year. The leaders have since been seen closely working with the Trump administration.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
