YouTube, a company owned by Alphabet, has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump.
Trump previously claimed that his account was unfairly blocked, and with the agreement, the legal dispute between the President of the United States (US) and the social media platform is over.
In a joint statement, the two parties said that the settlement does not mean an admission of guilt by YouTube, but an effort to resolve legal complications and avoid a long trial.
Trump stated that the success of obtaining compensation is a victory against social media censorship and stressed that digital platforms must adhere to freedom of expression without subjectively choosing sides.
YouTube also stated a commitment that they will evaluate the content review process and account suspension procedures to be more fair and transparent in order to avoid similar disputes in the future.
The move also sparked concerns among other social media platforms about the potential for high financial exposure if exposed to legal actions related to the right to free speech and blocking of political content.
The settlement makes Google the last of the three giants to settle Trump's lawsuits starting in July 2021, including X and Meta, which agreed to settle lawsuits earlier this year.
