Family of slain CSULB student Nohemi Gonzalez sues Twitter, Facebook, Google

The family of Cal State Long Beach student Nohemi Gonzalez, killed in the Paris attacks, is suing Google, Facebook and Twitter, alleging the social media giants have aided terrorist groups by allowing them to use their chaels to recruit members and coordinate attacks.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Northe Califoia, alleges the three companies “use their social networks as a tool for spreading extremist propaganda, raising funds and attracting new recruits.”

The lawyer representing the family, Michigan-based Keith Altman of Excolo Law, said this case is not about free speech, but about creating communication conduits that allow ISIS and other terror groups to plan, coordinate and execute terror attacks.

The companies are aiding and in some cases funding terrorist organizations, which contributed to the death of Gonzalez, 23, of El Monte, on Nov. 13 while she was on an exchange program.

“There’s no freedom of speech when it comes to terrorism,” Altman said this moing. “We’re not talking about posting viewpoints. We’re talking about recruiting.”

Representatives from Twitter, Facebook and Google (which operates YouTube), could not immediately be reached for comment this moing. Altman said the companies are being served with the lawsuit later today.

A similar lawsuit was filed in January against San Francisco-based Twitter, alleging the popular micro-blog site led to the death of Lloyd Carl Fields Jr., of Florida, in a Nov. 9 attack in Jordan.

In response to that lawsuit, a Twitter spokesman called the lawsuit “meritless,” but expressed sympathy for the Fields family. Twitter also denied claims that it has not responded to conces about terrorists using the social network.

“We have teams around the world actively investigating reports of rule violations, identifying violating conduct, partnering with organizations countering extremist content online and working with law enforcement entities when appropriate,” Twitter said in a statement.

Though unprecedented, Altman said the case is “going to send a very big statement. ... Hopefully we can bring about some change.”

More to come.

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