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Twitter Faces $50 Million Lawsuit In France Over Anti-Semitic Tweet Data

French Jewish Groups File $50M Suit Against Twitter
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Law student & former journalist

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The Union of French Jewish Students (UEJF) may have won its court case involving anti-Semitic tweets in January, but the controversy did not end there.

As France 24 reports, Twitter allegedly did not follow through on court requirements, so the student union -- in conjunction with another French Jewish group -- decided to take the matter a step further. They sued Twitter for $50 million for failing to release data on the authors of the anti-Semitic tweets within a 15-day period, as is required by the French court.

"Twitter plays the card of indifference by not respecting the January 24th decision," UEJF President Jonathan Hayoun told the Agence France-Presse.

The suit, which was filed Thursday by UEJF and the "J'Accuse" association, demands that Twitter pay 38 million euros (about $50 million) to the Memorial de la Shoah, a museum that commemorates the history of French Jews during World War II.

“We are upping the stakes because Twitter has not been listening to the fact that they have to abide by French law,” French lawyer Stéphane Lilti, who represents the groups, told France 24, adding that the monetary demand "is designed to make them wake up to the fact that protecting the authors of racist tweets is not acceptable in France.”

Responding to the allegations that Twitter did not acknowledge the data request in the allotted time, spokesman Jim Prosser told The Huffington Post in a statement:

We've been in continual discussions with UEJF. As this new filing shows, they are sadly more interested in grandstanding than taking the proper international legal path for this data. We filed our appeal yesterday, and would have filed it sooner if not for UEJF's intentional delay in processing the court's decision.

In October, widespread anti-Semitic tweets were popularized by the French hashtag #UnBonJuif, which translates to "#AGoodJew." Users tweeted statements using the hashtag that were seen as offensive and derogatory to Jewish people.

Though Twitter partially acquiesced to UEJF's request to remove some of the most offensive tweets last year by blocking a majority of them from view, the social media company refused to ban the hashtag altogether -- something that is against company policy. That's when UEJF launched its campaign to get data on the identities of the offending tweeters.

As France 24 notes, the case is expected to go to court in September.

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Before You Go

What Not To Post On Twitter: 11 Things Your Tweeps Don't Need To Know(CLONED)
Confessionals, Office Gossip(01 of11)
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If you're angry at your boss or playing hookey from work, you probably shouldn't tweet about it. Furthermore, warns Amber Yoo of PrivacyRights.org, tweeting your opinions about work-related topics can lead to trouble in-office. "Unless they are glowing, don't Tweet opinions about your company, clients, products and services. Employers are increasingly monitoring employee conduct on Twitter," says Yoo. "A tweet could cost you your job if you aren't careful." (credit:Flickr:Dano)
Intimate Personal Information(02 of11)
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Details from your personal history are best left out of your Twitter feed. You can put yourself at risk for identity theft by revealing your birth date and place, your social security number, your maiden name or your mother's maiden name. Twitter also advises users to be wary of phishing schemes. "People are not always who they claim to be on their Twitter profile and you should be wary of any communication that asks for your private contact information, personal information, or passwords," according to the Twitter Help Center. (credit:Flickr:kiwanja)
Exact Loctions(03 of11)
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Twitter's geolocation tool can help you broadcast your location without squandering precious text space. However, geotags could potentially be used by stalkers to secretly track someone's location. The good news is that you can turn this tool off at any time. (credit:Flickr:Kai Hendry)
Vacation Timeframes(04 of11)
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Burglars have admitted to using social networks to plan home invasions. If you share a public tweet saying that you'll be on vacation for a week, you're also telling your followers that you've left your home untended. (credit:Flickr:Charles Williams)
Daily Routines(05 of11)
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"Be careful not to share your daily routine," says Amber Yoo of PrivacyRights.org. "Tweeting about walking to work, where you go on your lunch break, or when you head home is risky because it may allow a criminal to track you." (credit:Flickr:Mattastic!)
Your Kids' Names And Routines (06 of11)
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Children can be easy targets for online predators and identity thieves. You can keep your kids safe by leaving their names out of your Twitter feeds and refraining from tweeting about where you pick them up or drop them off every day. (credit:Flickr:woodleywonderworks)
High-Risk Activities(07 of11)
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Insurance companies have been known to check Twitter when investigating compensation claims and may even look to social media when assessing a customer's risks. Tweeting about frequent climbing trips, for example, could result in a premiums hike. If you've filed for disability compensation, your insurance company could search for your tweets about high-risk activities and use them to supplement a fraud case against you. (credit:Flickr:ex_magician)
Personal Attacks On Other Users(08 of11)
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The Twitter Help Center advises users not to engage with bullies:
You may encounter people on Twitter who you don't like or who say things that you disagree with or find offensive. Please remain courteous, even if the other people are not. Retaliation can reinforce bad behavior and only encourages bullies. Don't forward or retweet bullying or mean messages. Remember that the things you say can be very hurtful to other people. Don't turn into a bully yourself.
 (credit:Flickr:Joaquin Villaverde Photography)
Geotagged Photos(09 of11)
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It's a risky move to tweet photos that show what you look like and what your home looks like. Including geotags with these types of photos could put you at risk. Moreover, some smartphones automatically embed geolocation data into your photos, and you may not realize how much private data you're revealing with a simple snapshot. According to PrivacyRights.org, "Your real-time location may indicate your home and work addresses, your commuting patterns, what religious institution you visit, how often you go to a doctor, political rallies you attend or whether you are seeking the advice of a lawyer." (credit:Flickr:chefranden)
Racy Or Inappropriate Photos(10 of11)
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"Employers routinely check out Twitter prior to hiring an individual, and have referenced social networking as helping them make choices on future employees," says Reputation.com founder Michael Fertik. "Use better than average common sense when uploading photos to Twitter - if you wouldn't want your boss or grandmother to see it, it's probably a good idea to hold tight and keep it offline." (credit:Flickr:sansreproache)
Every Detail Of Your Life(11 of11)
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Some Twitterers annoy other users by tweeting constantly. Sifting through minutiae on Twitter can be a chore. "It gets annoying and takes space and attention away from other Twitterers' links and observations," writes PCWorld. "If you have that much to say, maybe it belongs on a blog." (credit:Flickr:adam & lucy)
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