New York AG Letitia James demands answers from social media companies about online threats

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James is demanding answers from social media companies about threats posted online.

James' office sent a series of letters to Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, Reddit, and Rumble, asking what they are doing to limit antisemitic and Islamophobic threats from reaching their users.

"In the wake of Hamas' unspeakable atrocities, social media has been widely used by bad actors to spread horrific material, disseminate threats, and encourage violence," James said. "These platforms have a responsibility to keep their users safe and prohibit the spread of violent rhetoric that puts vulnerable groups in danger."

According to James' office, the letters specifically request the following information: 

• What actions, if any, they have taken to address the recent calls for violence against Jewish and Muslim people and institutions
• What actions they have taken to address the possibility that their platforms may be used to plan, encourage, or disseminate acts of violence
• The public-facing terms of service, community rules, or other policies in place that prohibit users from utilizing the platform to disseminate calls for violence
• Details of internal policies that govern the determination of whether content is a call for violence that should be removed
• Policies regarding disciplining, suspending, and/or banning users for posting content that has been removed for spreading calls for violence

Just this week, James and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced legislation they hope will help protect children from harmful social media content.