A judge has allowed the lawsuit against YouTube and Reddit related to the 2022 deadly Tops supermarket shooting in Buffalo, New York, to move forward.
The lawsuit, filed by survivors of the shooting and a family member of a victim, claims that the two social media brands were “instrumental in preparing the shooter to commit his heinous attack.”
Ten people, all African American, were killed in a racially motivated mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in May 2022, an attack that shook the nation and underscored a rise in white supremacy across the country.
In the shooter’s plan to attack the supermarket, he described the radical, racist and antisemitic ideals he said he cultivated on the internet.
The interface of ‘Reddit’ is being displayed on a mobile phone.
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“Their unreasonably dangerous and negligent design choices resulted in the shooter’s addiction to their products, and caused him to develop the mentality required to target and kill Black people who were innocently shopping at their local market,” the lawsuit states.
It continues, “In addition to facilitating the shooter’s radicalization, the design of these social media platforms provided the shooter with knowledge regarding the tools, products, and skills he needed to commit the mass shooting at Tops.”
Erie County Supreme Court Judge Paula L. Feroleto denied YouTube and Reddit’s motions to dismiss the complaint. The social media platforms had argued that because they hosted third-party content, they were not liable under the Communications Decency Act and the First Amendment. Both companies plan on appealing the decision.
In a statement to ABC News, a Reddit spokesperson said “hate and violence have no place on Reddit.”
The spokesperson cited their sitewide policies, which prohibit content that “promotes hate based on identity or vulnerability, as well as content that encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence or physical harm against an individual or group of people,” they said.
Youtube is displayed on mobile phone.
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The statement continued, “We are constantly evaluating ways to improve our detection and removal of this content, including through enhanced image-hashing systems, and we will continue to review the communities on our platform to ensure they are upholding our rules.”
In a statement to ABC News, a YouTube spokesperson expressed “the deepest sympathies” for the victims and families of the Tops shooting.
“Through the years, YouTube has invested in technology, teams, and policies to identify and remove extremist content,” said spokesperson José Castañeda. “While we disagree with today’s decision and will be appealing, we will continue to work with law enforcement, other platforms, and civil society to share intelligence and best practices.”
Feroleto’s decision comes just weeks after she denied motions to dismiss from the gun store Vintage Firearms, LLC and gun part manufacturer MEAN Arms, two other defendants in the case.
Everytown Law, the anti-gun violence legal advocacy group, claims that Mean Arms “manufactured a gun lock that provided a fake veneer of compliance with New York gun laws” and that Vintage Firearms, LLC, sold him an “illegal AR-15-style rifle.”
The complaint claims RMA Armament, the third defendant in the case, “equipped the shooter with combat-grade body armor without reasonable vetting.”
ABC News reached out to Vintage Firearms, LLC, MEAN Arms and RMA Armament for comment on the lawsuit.
In the wake of the tragic shooting at a Buffalo, New York, mosque that left several people injured, survivors have announced their intention to proceed with a lawsuit against Reddit and YouTube. The lawsuit alleges that the platforms failed to take adequate measures to prevent the dissemination of extremist content that may have radicalized the shooter.
The shooting, which took place on a Friday afternoon during prayer time, shocked the local community and sent ripples of fear and anger throughout the country. The shooter, a 27-year-old man with a history of posting hateful and violent content online, opened fire on worshippers before being subdued by other members of the mosque.
In the aftermath of the shooting, it was revealed that the shooter had been an active participant in online forums and communities that promoted hate speech and violence. Despite numerous reports and complaints about his behavior, Reddit and YouTube allegedly failed to take action to remove or restrict his access to these platforms.
The survivors of the shooting have now filed a lawsuit against Reddit and YouTube, claiming that their negligence allowed the shooter to radicalize and incite violence. The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, medical expenses, and loss of income, among other things.
This case raises important questions about the responsibility of social media platforms to monitor and regulate the content that is shared on their sites. While platforms like Reddit and YouTube have policies in place to prohibit hate speech and violence, critics argue that they are not doing enough to enforce these policies and prevent dangerous individuals from spreading their toxic ideologies.
In response to the lawsuit, Reddit and YouTube have stated that they take these allegations seriously and are committed to working with law enforcement to prevent similar incidents in the future. However, they also maintain that they cannot be held responsible for the actions of individual users who violate their terms of service.
As this case moves forward, it will undoubtedly spark a larger conversation about the role of social media in promoting extremism and violence. It serves as a stark reminder of the power and influence that these platforms hold, and the need for greater accountability and oversight to prevent tragedies like the Buffalo shooting from happening again.
