Donald Trump, the President of the United States. Reuters/Al Drago
According to media reports The New York Times
YouTube agreed to pay compensation totaling 24.5 million dollars in the case against Donald Trump and other plaintiffs who filed suit after accounts were blocked on the platform over events of January 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. Such settlements were the result of lengthy negotiations between the parties.
After the storming of the Capitol, YouTube blocked the account of the then-U.S. president and barred him from uploading new videos, while stating that his content could provoke further violence. Trump filed suit in October 2021, accusing YouTube and other social networks of illegal censorship.
According to the terms of the settlement, a large portion of the payments – $22 million – will go personally to Trump. He said he would redirect these funds to the National Mall Foundation in Washington, D.C., and toward the construction of a ballroom in the White House. The remaining $2.5 million will be distributed among other plaintiffs, including author Naomi Wolf and the American Conservative Union.
Trump’s attorney John Coale noted that after the president’s re-election, negotiations progressed much faster. Representatives of YouTube declined to comment.
Aftermath of the settlement and subsequent developments
Trump’s account on YouTube was restored in 2023 after the restrictions were lifted. Last week the company also said it would unblock some authors suspended for spreading misinformation about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, and would ease its content-moderation policy.
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