Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh
Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh, 598 U.S. 471 (2023), was a case of the Supreme Court of the United States. The case considered whether Internet service providers are liable for "aiding and abetting" a designated foreign terrorist organization in an "act of international terrorism", on account of recommending such content posted by users, under Section 2333 of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. Along with Gonzalez v. Google LLC, Taamneh is one of two cases where social media companies are accused of aiding and abetting terrorism in violation of the law. The cases were decided together in a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which ruled that Taamneh's case could proceed. The cases challenge the broad liability immunity for hosting and recommending terrorist content that websites have enjoyed.
| Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh | |
|---|---|
| Argued February 22, 2023 Decided May 18, 2023 | |
| Full case name | Twitter, Inc., et al., v. Mehier Taamneh, et al. |
| Docket no. | 21-1496 |
| Citations | 598 U.S. 471 (more) |
| Argument | Oral argument |
| Holding | |
| Respondents' allegations that Twitter aided and abetted ISIS in its terrorist attack on the Reina nightclub fail to state a claim under 18 U.S.C. § 2333(d)(2). | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Thomas, joined by unanimous |
| Concurrence | Jackson |
| Laws applied | |
| Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act | |
The unanimous court ruled in May 2023 that the charges brought against Twitter and other companies were not permissible under the Antiterrorism Act, and did not address the Section 230 question. This decision also supported the Court's per curiam decision in Gonzalez returning that case to the lower court for review in light of the Twitter decision.