In a landmark moment for both tech law and comedy, YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit alleging “emotional devastation” caused by suspending Donald Trump’s account after the January 6th attack. The former president’s lawyers argued the ban violated his right to upload late-night rants, caps-lock conspiracy theories, and grainy golf course videos.
Critics say the settlement sets a dangerous precedent, as YouTube now owes damages not for censorship, but for depriving Trump of his favorite pastime: shouting into the digital void. Executives, reportedly exhausted from years of “content moderation whack-a-mole,” signed the check just to make the noise stop.
Meanwhile, Trump celebrated the payout on Truth Social, promising to invest the windfall in a “world-class video site” where every clip starts with him speaking for 45 minutes. The working title: “YouTrumptube.” Investors immediately begged to be excluded.
