Survivors of Florida club rampage sue social media giants

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Survivors of a Florida nightclub massacre have filed a federal lawsuit against Google, Facebook and Twitter, claiming they helped spread terrorist propaganda.

The complaint filed in Orlando by 16 survivors of the June 2016 Pulse nightclub attack says the companies profited from content posted by the Islamic State group.

Gunman Omar Mateen pledged allegiance to the organization in telephone conversations with a 911 operator and police during the rampage that killed 49 at the gay nightclub. Mateen was killed in a shootout with SWAT team members.

A similar lawsuit filed by the victims' families against the three social media giants was dismissed by a Detroit federal judge last week. The judge found no connection between social media content and the attack. Another lawsuit against Twitter was dismissed in 2016.

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The Gayly. April 6, 2018. 10:38 a.m. CST.