Uvalde Families Are Suing Activision and Meta

Summary

Uvalde school shooting victims' families sue Activision and Meta for allegedly promoting violent behavior through video games and social media.
The lawsuit claims links between a Call of Duty game, Instagram, and a firearm manufacturer influenced the shooter in the tragic massacre.
Legal action against large tech companies may have a significant impact on the gaming industry.

The family members of the victims of the Uvalde school massacre have opened a lawsuit against Call of Duty owner Activision and tech conglomerate Meta for what they believe was harmful conduct that instigated the tragic incident. In the past, companies have been accused of proliferating the spread of negative influences that impact impressionable youth through avenues like social media and video games, whether unintentionally or otherwise. This particular case with Activision and Meta is somewhat similar.

The lawsuit in question stems from a tragic incident that occurred at Uvalde, Texas's Robb Elementary School, around two years ago. On May 24, 2022, an 18-year-old teenager who was a former student at Robb Elementary brought an AR-15 rifle to the school and fatally shot 19 students and two teachers, in addition to wounding 17 other individuals. Seeking justice, the family members of the victims of the Uvalde school shooting recently reached a $2 million settlement with the local government of the Texas city, but now they have decided to take legal action against larger entities as well.

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By Neville Lahiru

As reported by CBS News, the 19 families of the innocent victims who were killed in the Uvalde massacre have opened a lawsuit against Activision and Meta, accusing violent video games like Call of Duty and the social media platform Instagram of inciting the school shooting's perpetrator to commit these horrendous murders. Attorney Josh Koskoff, who filed this lawsuit as a representative of the victims' families, alleged that Activision, Instagram, and AR-15 gun manufacturer Daniel Defense, were "partnering... In a scheme that preys upon insecure, adolescent boys." Furthermore, the lawsuit claimed that Activision and Meta enabled the efforts of firearm manufacturers to "expand the market for their weapons" to children.

The Uvalde Massacre Victims' Families Claim Instagram and Call of Duty Are to Blame For the Incident

The attorneys representing the case specifically point to the fact that the culprit behind the Uvalde shooting was an avid fan of Call of Duty, having downloaded CoD: Modern Warfare in November 2021. One of the AR-15s in the game was apparently the same model that was used in the shooting. This particular firearm that the culprit ended up purchasing was frequently advertised on Instagram, the site that he regularly frequented. Koskoff criticized Meta, stating that in its relentless desire to drive traffic and generate attention, it created a connection between "an adolescent... And a gun company" through Instagram.

Though Meta has yet to comment on this litigation, an Activision spokesperson responded to the Call of Duty-related lawsuit. They pointed out that although the "Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way... Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts."

Video games being blamed for school shootings is nothing new, as many other politicians and activists have accused the media of inciting violent acts among youth. Though similar efforts haven't gone very far, this lawsuit may significantly impact Activision and Meta in the long run if it pans out.

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