NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James is demanding answers from social media companies about threats posted online.
A series of letters were sent by James’ office to Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Reddit, and Rumble. The purpose of these letters was to inquire about the measures being taken by these platforms to minimize the dissemination of antisemitic and Islamophobic threats among their users.
James stated that following Hamas’ appalling acts, social media platforms have become extensively utilized by malicious individuals to circulate disturbing content, distribute threats, and promote violence. He believes that these platforms have an obligation to ensure the safety of their users and prohibit the dissemination of violent language that jeopardizes vulnerable communities.
The following information is specifically requested, according to James’ office.
- Have they taken any measures to address the recent surge in calls for violence against Jewish and Muslim individuals and establishments?
- What measures have they implemented to tackle the potential use of their platforms for planning, promoting, or spreading acts of violence?
- Users are not allowed to use the platform to spread calls for violence, as stated in the public-facing terms of service, community rules, or other policies in place.
- The specific guidelines regarding internal policies that dictate the evaluation of content as a call for violence and subsequently necessitating its removal.
- Policies pertaining to disciplining, suspending, or banning users who post content that has been removed due to its promotion of violence.
Just this week, James and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced legislation they hope will help protect children from harmful social media content.
