As a platform viewed by millions, if not billions of users around the world, YouTube has a responsibility to its audiences. This is why the company has policies and rules in place that dictate what kind of videos are or aren’t allowed. But now, it looks like YouTube has agreed to a settlement with US President Donald Trump to the tune of $24.5 million.
YouTube agrees to Trump settlement
The settlement comes from a lawsuit Trump filed against YouTube back in 2021. For those unfamiliar, Trump filed multiple lawsuits against YouTube, Meta, and X. This was over his suspension on those platforms following the January 2021 attack on the Capitol. Trump was banned from uploading new videos on YouTube, with the company saying that it had “concerns about the ongoing potential for violence.”
YouTube later lifted those restrictions in March 2023 , and now, it is going to settle . YouTube will pay $24.5 million as part of the settlement agreement. $22 million will go towards the Trust for the National Mall nonprofit, which will help “support the construction of the White House State Ballroom.” The remaining $2.5 million will go to other plaintiffs.
YouTube’s decision to settle means that it was essentially the last company holding out. Meta and X had previously settled with Trump, with the former paying $25 million, while the latter paid $10 million.
Taking the knee
The position these companies are taking are one that’s very different from a few years ago. Now that Trump is back in power again in his second term as President, tech companies that used to speak up against him and now taking the knee.
When Trump won his second term election, many CEOs from major US tech companies made personal donations . Plus, with the Trump administration imposing tariffs on imported goods, which many tech companies in the US rely heavily on, it’s not surprising that these companies are willing to play ball.
More recently, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook appeared in a video with Trump, where he handed the President a statue made of gold and glass . This was to symbolize Apple’s commitment to building more if its products stateside.
