YouTube, Reddit, and Facebook are set to face lawsuit for supposedly helping radicalize a mass shooter that killed 10 people in Buffalo, New York, the US Supreme Court judge ruled.
In the court documents released on Monday, SC Judge Paula Feroleto denied the social media's plea to dismiss the case after finding the "complaint sufficiently pleads viable causes of action to go forward at this stage of the litigation."
The lawsuit refers to the bloody mass shooting where then 18-year-old Payton Gendron shot and killed 10 Black Americans at a grocery store two years ago in what the court described as a "domestic act of terrorism motivated by hate."
Gendron was indicted of 25 charges with the Justice Department seeking to impose capital punishment of the death penalty to the now 22-year-old murderer.
Social Media Companies Accused of Indoctrinating Mass Shooter
Plaintiffs accused the social media of directing Gendron "to further platforms or postings that indoctrinated him with 'white replacement theory'." The lawsuit is also seeking to make the arms manufacturer and gun shop that sold the weapon Gendron used in the mass shooting.
In a statement to CNN, both YouTube and Reddit promised to continue to work with authorities to better protect its young users content encouraging violence.
Both social media plans to appeal the SC's decision.
Social Media Law for Children Gains New Support Amid Rising Concerns on Mental Health
The court documents on the Gendron case were released as the US government clamps down on social media for potentially exposing children to harmful content on their platforms.
Just a few months back, social media CEOs, including Meta, faced the Senate amid complaints that social media neglected its underage users with harmful and sexual content.
In the hearing, several senators urged the companies to endorse the proposed Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to allow lawmakers to intervene with what content children post and see online.
Among those who refused to support the bill as it was then was Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has previously been noted for "historically reluctance" to protect children on its platforms.
Related Article : Child Online Protection Bill Gains New Support Ahead of Senate Decision
