Meta and ‘Call of Duty’ publisher sued by Uvalde families

Nearly two years after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the victims’ families are filing a lawsuit against Meta and Activision Blizzard, claiming the tech companies played a role in the tragedy.

According to PoliticoThe lawsuit filed Friday claims that Meta-owned Instagram and the popular Call of Duty game franchise helped market the gun used by Salvador Ramos in the 2022 shootings that killed 21 people, including 19 elementary school children .

The complaints claim that Daniel Defense, the gun maker, used Instagram to harm minors, while Activision’s games encouraged violent behavior among teenagers. Meta is being targeted for failing to properly supervise its platforms, allowing gun makers to connect with young users. Although Meta does not allow direct gun ads, it allows companies like Daniel Defense to have profiles on Facebook and Instagram, allowing them to post favorable content about their products and attract attention. user engagement.

Lawsuits targeting video game companies for gun violence are not new but rarely succeed. Critics like author and law enforcement trainer Dave Grossman argue that violent games like those in the Call of Duty franchise desensitize players and train them to real-world violence. There is important debate among researchers on whether or not such claims have any merit. Courts have often sided with game developers in such cases, citing First Amendment protections and a lack of direct evidence linking the game to real-life violence.

In a statement to Politico, Activision Blizzard expressed sympathy for the families but stressed that many players do not commit violent acts. Meta and Daniel Defense had not yet commented on Politico’s report.

The families, represented by the Koskoff law firm Koskoff & Bieder, also filed a separate lawsuit against Daniel Defense in Uvalde County District Court. Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder has a history of similar cases, having previously obtained $73 million of the Remington firearms company in a settlement after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. This lawsuit was successful despite challenges posed by federal gun manufacturer immunity laws.

Additionally, the same group of families announced their intention to file a lawsuit on Wednesday. $500 million federal lawsuit against nearly 100 state police officers involved in the botched response to the shooting.

This case could potentially challenge a notable piece of legislation: Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1998, which protects online platforms from liability over user content. The Supreme Court recently upheld this provision, leaving it unchanged in related cases. As Mashable has previously noted, Section 230 often comes under scrutiny, and changes to the law or its legal position in the courts have the potential to significantly change the Internet.