Google, YouTube, and their parent company, Alphabet, along with Reddit, are facing lawsuits alleging that they promoted harmful content that facilitated a hate-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, last year. The shooter, Payton Gendron, used these platforms to gain the mindset, knowledge, and motivation to carry out his racist attack, according to one of the suits filed on behalf of Wayne Jones, the son of victim Celestine Chaney. Celestine was one of 10 victims who were shot and killed by Gendron, an 18-year-old white supremacist, on May 14, 2022, while shopping for strawberry shortcake ingredients.
The lawsuits argue that Gendron wouldn’t have become a believer in the conspiracy theory known as “the Great Replacement” without social media sites like YouTube, Reddit, and Google. These platforms’ unsupervised algorithms systematically promote angry, violent, and extremist content to maximize user engagement. As a result of Gendron’s constant use of social media, he was exposed to an unending supply of extreme and harmful content that made him a believer in the racist conspiracy theory.
Gendron’s chilling writings, including a manifesto he posted online before the attack, showcased the ideologies promoted by the Great Replacement conspiracy theory. He expressed beliefs that humanity would cease to develop if the white race were eliminated and vowed to carry out an attack on the “replacers,” non-white people migrating to white countries.
The lawsuits also mention the role of Reddit in enabling Gendron by providing a platform for him to learn about tactical gear through a subreddit called “r/Tactical Gear.” Additionally, Gendron used YouTube to educate himself on operating the AR-15 gun he purchased at Vintage Firearms.
Representatives for Google, YouTube, and Reddit expressed sympathies for the victims and their families but did not directly respond to the allegations. Everytown Law, representing the victims, asserted that social media companies played a role in radicalizing the shooter and enabling him to carry out the mass shooting.
The lawsuits also implicate RMA Armament, where Gendron bought his tactical gear, Vintage Firearms, where he purchased his gun, and Gendron’s parents for failing to prevent the shooting. Gendron pleaded guilty to charges of murder and domestic terrorism and was sentenced to life in prison. He still faces federal hate crime charges, which could result in the death penalty.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuits seek economic and non-economic damages for the impact on the victims’ lives. The exact sum of damages would be determined in a trial if the defendants are found guilty.
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