GIFFORDS Law Center and Brady Urge Supreme Court to Recognize Dangers of Online Hate Speech and Violence

GIFFORDS Law Center and Brady File Amicus Brief in NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice Before the Supreme Court.

Washington, DC — Yesterday, GIFFORDS Law Center, the legal arm of the gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, together with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, the nation’s longest-standing nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing gun violence, filed an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in NetChoice v. Paxton and Moody v. NetChoice, urging the Court to recognize the role that online hate speech has in contributing to real-world gun violence. The amicus brief can be found here.

Esther Sanchez-Gomez, Litigation Director, GIFFORDS Law Center:

"Rising hate speech online is leading to real-world gun violence. We saw a tragic example of this in the racist, hate-motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, earlier this year. Across social media platforms, hate speech has been tolerated, fostered, and even promoted. Social media companies have a role to play in both preserving the internet as a true marketplace of ideas and protecting the lives of those who would be targets of real-world, hate-motivated gun violence.”

Douglas N. Letter, Chief Legal Officer, Brady:

“Too often, in the wake of heinous violence, we learn that the perpetrators of mass shootings were radicalized online. These online experiences are formative in germinating these deadly acts. The Supreme Court must understand the deadly relationship between online content and real-world tragedy.”