TECH - Meta Reddit YouTube To Face Legal Action From Buffalo Shooting Survivors Judge Rules | Benzinga
A New York judge’s recent decision has opened the door for survivors of the 2022 Buffalo shooting to pursue legal action against major social media platforms, potentially setting a precedent for how such companies are held accountable for content on their sites.
What Happened: Survivors of the horrific 2022 Buffalo shooting have been granted the right to proceed with their lawsuits against social media giants, The Hill reported on Tuesday. Erie Supreme Court Judge Paula L. Feroleto has denied motions to dismiss the cases against platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Reddit.
The plaintiffs have accused these platforms, which include Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Reddit and Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), of creating products that they claim contributed to the radicalization of the gunman, Payton Gendron. Gendron, now serving a life sentence for murder and domestic terrorism, was reportedly influenced by racist and violent content online. The social media companies had previously cited Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act as a defense, claiming it exempted them from liability, but Judge Feroleto found the complaints credible enough to proceed.
Everytown, ...