JERUSALEM โ Relatives and survivors of the October 7 Hamas massacre have filed a class-action lawsuit against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, seeking approximately NIS 4 billion (around US$1.1 billion) in damages.
They allege that Metaโs platforms allowed livestreams and other graphic footage of murders, kidnappings, and torture to be broadcast during, and long after, the terrorist attack, turning the platforms into tools of terror.
CyberWell, an independent nonprofit dedicated to combating online antisemitism and Holocaust denial, calls this case a pivotal moment in holding social platforms accountable. โThis landmark case raises urgent questions, not only about platform liability when social media and digital services become weapons in the hands of terrorists, but also about the new reach of terrorism in the digital universe,โ said CyberWell Founder and CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor.
Victimsโ attorneys describe the harm in harrowing detail. In many cases, families learned of their loved onesโ fate via footage posted to their personal accounts by Hamas gunmen. One survivor said of Facebook and Instagram: they became โan integral part of the terrorist attack on Israel.โ
CyberWell maintains that the October 7 attack marked โthe most successful hijacking of major social media platforms by a terrorist group.โ The nonprofit has documented how platforms failed to prioritize user safety over engagement. โWhat should have been a turning point โฆ was tragically missed,โ Montemayor said.
In its broader work, CyberWell has collected over 10,000 verified antisemitic posts in its open database and used AI tools to alert platforms to hate content. It has also documented sharp increases in online Jew-hatred since the attack and continues to work with social media companies to remove incitement at scale.
For pro-Israel and Zionist communities, the lawsuit and CyberWellโs work highlight the urgent need for digital platforms to do more to protect Jewish lives online. The case may set a legal and moral precedent for addressing terrorist content in the age of social media.
This article is based on verified information from Meta-related reporting, CyberWell statements, and the victimsโ petition and reporting from JNS, Calcalist, i24NEWS, and Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.