SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) – Family members of those killed in a shooting in San Bernardino, California have filed suit against social media companies for allegedly "aiding, abetting and knowingly providing support and resources to ISIS," the complaint states.
Gregory Clayborn, Vanessa Nguyen, Jacob Thalasinos, James Thalasinos, et al. filed a complaint on Dec. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Twitter Inc., Google LLC and Facebook Inc. for allege violation of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act.
According to the complaint, on Dec. 2, 2015, ISIS supporters Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik went to the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino and fired more than 100 bullets into a staff meeting of the environmental health department. Among those who were killed were plaintiffs' decedents, the suit states.
The plaintiffs claim the use of social media directly influenced Farook and Malik's actions on the day of the San Bernardino incident.
The plaintiffs holds Twitter Inc., Google LLC and Facebook Inc. responsible because they allege the defendants provided their services to ISIS members and organizations and that "defendants' sites have been used by ISIS to conduct terrorist operations, including the San Bernardino attack and have also been used as a recruitment tool and fundraising tool," the suit states.
The plaintiffs seek judgment for compensatory and treble damages, all costs sustained, an order declaring the defendants have violated the Anti-Terrorism Act, and grant such other and further relief as justice requires. They are represented by Keith L. Altman and Solomon M. Radner of Excolo Law PLLC in Southfield, Michigan and others.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California case number 3:17-cv-06894-LB