Israeli Businessman Sues TikTok, Google, and Individual for Defamation Over Online Videos

Israeli businessman Effi Kniyas filed a lawsuit for 100,000 shekels at the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court against Haim Tzafri, accusing him of conducting a deliberate and malicious defamation campaign on TikTok. The suit alleges that Tzafri published false videos damaging Kniyas's reputation, honor, and business interests. TikTok Israel and Google Israel were also formally included as defendants to seek removal of the harmful videos and related search results from their platforms.

According to the complaint, Tzafri's campaign portrays Kniyas in a false and humiliating light, with the videos appearing in Google search results, exposing anyone searching Kniyas's name to the defamatory content. The background to the dispute involves a prior legal case initiated by a company controlled by Kniyas against Tzafri. Tzafri was formerly employed by "Karni Ram Car Rental," was dismissed, and subsequently lost a civil lawsuit filed by the company.

Kniyas claims that after the legal proceedings, Tzafri began publishing defamatory content aimed at harming him and his business operations. The lawsuit asserts that none of the claims in the videos are true and that Tzafri deliberately concealed the existence of the prior legal case to create a false impression that Kniyas and his businesses acted unlawfully. Kniyas argues this conduct shows intent to harm and justifies compensation without proof of actual damage.

The lawsuit demands 100,000 shekels in damages, full removal of the defamatory content from TikTok and Google search results, a public correction and denial published with the same exposure as the original posts, and a court order prohibiting Tzafri from publishing similar content in the future. These allegations are based solely on the complaint and have not yet been adjudicated by the court.