Reddit, YouTube Face Lawsuits Accusing Them Of Enabling Buffalo Mass Shooter
A New York state judge has ruled that Reddit and Google's YouTube must proceed to face lawsuits alleging their involvement in facilitating the actions of a self-proclaimed white supremacist who fatally shot 10 Black individuals at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in 2022.
Justice Paula Feroleto of the Erie County Supreme Court has allowed 25 plaintiffs to pursue their claims against Reddit and YouTube, asserting that these social media platforms were structured to addict and radicalize users. The ruling suggests that Payton S. Gendron, the perpetrator of the racially motivated mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets, gained knowledge and encouragement for his actions through these platforms.
On May 14, 2022, Grendon, then 18-years-old, travelled to a predominantly Black neighorhood in Buffalo where he fatally shot, while livestreaming on Twitch with a head-mounted camera, 10 African Americans and injuring three others.
According to the Associated Press, he pointed his AR-15 gun at a white person, but did not shoot. He apologized instead.
Gendron is reported to have written a manifesto describing himself as a white supremacy supporter who is motivated to commit acts of political violence. The domestic terrorist voiced support for the far-right "Great Replacement" conspiracy theory in the context of a "white genocide."
He plead guilty to all state charges in November 2022 after initally pleading not guilty that May. He was sentenced to 11 consecutive life sentences without a possibility of parole in February 2023.
Among the 25 plaintiffs were witnesses of Gendron's rampage, including store employees, customers, and the son of one of the victims.
Reddit and YouTube, in their efforts to dismiss the claims, contended that they merely served as platforms for third-party content and should not be held accountable under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a federal law governing such content, or the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The judge ruled that the plaintiffs could argue that Reddit and YouTube were responsible for their injuries due to flaws in their platforms. She recognized the witnesses' mental distress as a valid basis for negligence claims given the severity of the attack.
Reddit reaffirmed its commitment to combatting hate and violence on its platform and pledged to continue enforcing its rules. The timing of the ruling did not coincide with Reddit's upcoming IPO.
YouTube disagreed with the decision and plans to appeal, according to spokesperson Jose Castaneda. YouTube expressed its condolences to Gendron's victims and their families, emphasizing its efforts to detect and eliminate extremist behavior, as well as its collaboration with law enforcement agencies.
