Alphabet will pay $22 million to settle President Trump’s YouTube lawsuit

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has agreed to pay $22 million to settle a class action lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump and other plaintiffs over the suspension of their YouTube accounts following the January 6 riot at the US Capitol. The settlement also includes an additional $2.5 million to be split among the other plaintiffs. Trump had filed separate lawsuits against Twitter (now X) and Facebook (now Meta) over similar suspensions, with Twitter paying him $10 million and Meta settling for $25 million earlier this year. The settlement with Alphabet will be paid to the Trust for the National Mall, a nonprofit partner of the National Park Service, and will be used for the construction of a ballroom at the White House. This settlement comes as Alphabet has been critical of government pressure to moderate content on its platforms, and has announced that YouTube will be offering a path to reinstatement for accounts previously banned for COVID-19 or election integrity-related misinformation.