JERUSALEM — Israeli and American families of victims of Palestinian attacks filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Facebook, claiming the social network is providing a platform for militants to spread incitement and violence, their lawyers said Monday.
Shurat Hadin, an Israeli legal advocacy group, filed the suit on behalf of the five families in New York federal court late Sunday, alleging that Facebook is violating the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act by providing a service to militant groups that assists them in "recruiting, radicalizing, and instructing terrorists, raising funds, creating fear and carrying out attacks."
The lawsuit (embedded below) focuses on the Islamic militant group Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.
The five families in the lawsuit lost relatives in attacks over the last two years. Four were dual Israeli-American citizens, while one victim was an American tourist.
"Facebook can't sit in its stone tower in Palo Alto while blood is being spilled here on the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It has a social responsibility. It can't serve as a social network for Hamas," said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the Israeli lawyer who is representing the families.