Families Sue Meta for $1 Billion Over Oct. 7th Terror Videos

Victims of the October 7th Hamas attacks and their families have filed a class-action lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in Israel's Tel Aviv District Court. The lawsuit seeks over 4 billion shekels (approximately $1 billion USD) in damages, alleging that Meta failed to prevent the spread of graphic videos documenting murders, kidnappings, and abuse, thereby becoming a platform for terror.

Plaintiffs recount harrowing experiences, such as Mor Bayda, whose grandmother, Bracha Levinson, was murdered in her home. Bayda discovered her grandmother's death through a video uploaded by Hamas terrorists to Levinson's own Facebook profile. Despite repeated attempts to have the disturbing content removed, the account was only blocked hours later, and the video was taken down after a full day. Other families, including the Idan family and Stav Araba, also reported being exposed to real-time footage of their loved ones held hostage.

Attorney Gali Kerner, representing the families, argued that Meta possessed the technological capabilities to prevent the broadcast and dissemination of such content but failed to implement them effectively. She stated that users who believed their online spaces were safe for their children did not expect them to become tools for spreading Hamas's agenda. The legal team is demanding real-time algorithmic filtering, trigger warnings, and preventative measures, warning that without immediate action, many of these videos may remain online permanently.

This lawsuit is not the first legal action taken by Israeli terror victims against Facebook. In 2015, the organization Shurat HaDin filed a class-action suit in New York on behalf of 20,000 Israelis, demanding the removal of pages inciting violence and providing instructions for attacks. Additionally, a $1 billion lawsuit was filed in the U.S. by families of Hamas attack victims, alleging Facebook actively provided a platform for Hamas to plan and encourage terrorism.

A hearing was held this week in Tel Aviv, where parties were offered mediation. For the families, the goal extends beyond financial compensation. "You can't bring my grandmother back, but they should take responsibility towards millions of users so that the next case doesn't happen," one family member stated.

Meta responded, expressing condolences to the families and stating that its policies prohibit Hamas as a forbidden organization. The company claims it removes content supporting or glorifying Hamas and the October 7th attacks, and that dedicated teams worked around the clock to remove policy-violating content following the attacks.