Meta facing $1bn lawsuit for livestreaming Oct. 7 Hamas attack

Arab News

3 hours ago

LONDON: Survivors and relatives of Israeli victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack have filed a lawsuit against Meta, accusing the American tech giant of enabling and amplifying the atrocities through its platforms.
The plaintiffs are seeking nearly 4 billion shekels ($1.17 billion) in damages. The figure comprises 200,000 shekels for each victim whose suffering was broadcast or documented on Meta platforms and 20,000 shekels for every Israeli who was exposed to the footage.
The suit, filed with the Tel Aviv District Court, could set a precedent for social media companies. It alleges that Facebook and Instagram became 'a pipeline for terror,' allowing Hamas militants to livestream and upload videos of killings, kidnappings and other atrocities.
The plaintiffs claim Meta failed to block or remove the footage in real time and left some content online for hours or even days.
Israeli news website Ynet reported that the legal action was initiated by the Idan family, who said Hamas gunmen stormed their home, held them hostage and murdered their eldest daughter, Maayan — all while livestreaming the attack on the mother's Facebook account. The father, Tsachi, was abducted to Gaza and later killed.
'They livestreamed the murder of our daughter, our other children's trauma and our cries for help,' the mother was quoted as saying.
'Facebook and Instagram enabled the broadcast of a brutal terror attack. And Meta is still allowing the footage to circulate.'
Another plaintiff said she learned of her grandmother Bracha Levinson's abduction and death only after Hamas uploaded the footage to her Facebook page.
The lawsuit also includes claims from members of the public who say they were exposed to graphic and traumatic content simply by logging on to the platforms that day. They accuse Meta of failing to act quickly to protect users from the livestreamed violence. The platforms, they argue, became 'an inseparable part of Hamas' terror infrastructure.'
Meta is also accused of violating victims' privacy and dignity, and of profiting from the viral spread of the footage. Plaintiffs argue that the company failed to activate rapid response systems or prevent its algorithms from promoting the violent content.
'Our hearts go out to the families affected by Hamas terrorism,' a Meta spokesperson said, adding that the company had set up dedicated teams working round the clock to remove the content and continued to remove any material that supported or glorified Hamas or the Oct. 7 attack.
The case is one of several filed in Israel and the US targeting actors accused of aiding or enabling Hamas propaganda and logistics. Last month, families of more than 120 victims sued the Palestinian Authority, claiming its 'pay-for-slay' policy — providing monthly stipends to convicted attackers or their families — constituted material support for the massacre.