CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) – An Illinois citizen is suing social media websites for allegedly "aiding, abetting and knowingly providing support and resources to ISIS," the complaint states.
Mandy Palmucci filed a complaint on Feb. 14 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against Twitter Inc., Google LLC and Facebook Inc. for alleged violation of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act.
According to the complaint, on Nov. 13, 2015, ISIS carried out a terrorist attack in Paris that killed 130 individuals and injured more than 400 people, including the plaintiff. The plaintiff claims the use of social media directly influenced these attacks because the defendants "provided the terrorist group ISIS accounts to use its social networks as a tool for spreading extremist propaganda, raising funds and attracting new recruits."
The plaintiff holds Twitter Inc., Google LLC and Facebook Inc. responsible because the defendants allegedly "knowingly provided substantial assistance and encouragement to ISIS, and thus aided and abetted ISIS in committing, planning or authorizing acts of international terrorism," the suit states.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment for treble damages; costs sustained; an order declaring that the defendants have violated, and are continuing to violate, the Anti-Terrorism Act; and grant such other and further relief as justice requires.
She is represented by Antonio M. Romanucci and Bryce T. Hensley of Romanucci & Blandin LLC in Chicago; Keith Altman and Solomon Radner of Excolo Law PLLC in Southfield, Missouri; and by Ari Kresch of 1-800-Lawfirm in Southfield, Michigan.
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois case number 1:18-cv-01165