Israeli Group Threatens Suit If Terrorist Organizations Not Removed from Twitter (Video)
The Israel Law Center (Shurat Hadin) has issued a letter to Twitter, the social-media website, stating that if terrorist organizations are not removed and banned from the site, the Law Center will sue.
The letter is written by the head of the Law Center, Nitsana Darshan and specifically names Hezbollah, Al Shabaab, and Al-Manar TV. Darshan has stated that these organizations, classified by the United States as terrorist groups, should not be allowed on Twitter.
Darshan writes, “Please be advised that providing social media and other associated services to terrorist groups is illegal and will expose Twitter, Inc. and its officers to both criminal prosecution and civil liability to American citizens and others victimized by terrorism.”
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She also notes, “Your provision of social media and associated services to Hezbollah and other FTO’s (foreign terrorist organizations) would constitute the type of seemingly innocuous material support that would render your company, and you personally, criminally and civilly liable.”
The Israel Law Center “is an Israeli based civil right organization and world leader in combating the terrorist organizations and the regimes that support them through lawsuits litigated in courtrooms around the world,” according to its website.
This is not the first time Twitter has been involved in a lawsuit or been accused of providing support for oppositional regimes. It was repeatedly cited and used by protesters in the Arab Spring, which led to mass gatherings in Egypt and Tunisia. Users were able to arrange meetings and plan events in protest of the government, which often tried to shut down Twitter usage.
Hezbollah and Al-Shabaab are named by the U.S. as FTO’s, and Al-Manar TV was named a “specially designated global terrorist” organization in 2004 and was promptly banned from the U.S.
Darshan concludes, “We request that you immediately provide us written confirmation that Twitter, Inc. has permanently discontinued the provision of social media and associated services to Hezbollah, Al-Manar TV, Al-Shabaab and any other FT’s. Absent such confirmation, we will seek all available relief and remedies against Twitter, Inc. in all relevant jurisdictions.”
