Jack Thompson Sues Facebook For $120 Million

...Because Facebook didn't delete "threatening messages" found in an "I Hate Thompson" group (only numbering 215 members, though with these developments it's bound to rapidly increase, haha) he notified them about:

Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc., the world’s most popular social-networking Web site, was accused in a lawsuit of letting site users post violent threats against a lawyer who was later disbarred.

Plaintiff Jack Thompson said the postings started after the CBS news show “60 Minutes” aired its interview with him in 2006 as a crusader against video game violence, according to the complaint he filed Sept. 29 in federal court in Miami. The games influence players to steal cars and shoot people, he says.

Thompson sued some of the game makers before the Florida Supreme Court disbarred him as an attorney in 2008, according to court records. Facebook users started an “I Hate Jack Thompson” group, according to the lawsuit. The complaint cites a posting that said “Jack Thompson should be smacked across the face with an Atari 2600.” Thompson included images of the Facebook postings in the lawsuit.

Thompson claims intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and failure to supervise the site, and seeks at least $120 million in damages.

Thompson said there was no response to his faxed requests to Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg in August and September to remove the postings. He noted in his complaint that a poll asking if President Barack Obama should be assassinated was removed from Facebook as soon as the company found out about it. The company said it’s investigating that matter with the U.S. Secret Service.

‘Without Merit’
“The suit is without merit and we will fight it vigorously,” Facebook said in an e-mailed statement. “Additionally, it is our practice to remove content that threatens an individual when it is brought to our attention.”

Facebook, which has about 300 million users, is based in Palo Alto, California.

The U.S. Communications Decency Act provides immunity to companies such as Facebook for what another party might post, said Parry Aftab, an attorney and executive director of Wired Safety, a charity designed to protect individuals who might be stalked or harassed on the Internet.

“I think there is no liability because of what somebody does on their Web site,” Aftab said in a phone interview.

Thompson said he believes the federal immunity provision doesn’t apply in his situation because he told the company about the threatening posts.

“It’s negligence,” Thompson said in a phone interview. “They were put on notice and they did nothing.”

He said his disbarment is irrelevant to this case.

“If I were Charles Manson, that wouldn’t warrant the postings” remaining on Facebook, he said.

The case is Thompson v. Facebook, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (Miami).

Source.

He needs to stop. Nobody likes him, and nobody will ever like him. He should be smacked across the face with an Atari 2600. Oh no, I guess he's going to sue me for millions of dollars for emotionally damaging him.

He'll fax a complaint to GiantBomb then sue them when your comment is not removed, take it back!

Um simple, the president is more important than Jack. And assassinate is way more threatening that throw a console at him.

Man, this guy sure is desperate to stay in the spotlight.

Jack Thompson is to video games like airplane food is to stand up comedians.

He actually has the arrogance to compare an president assassination threat, to some random person saying they want to hit him with a games console?  It's obviously meant in jest, I'd hardly consider that to be threatening.

*ugh*  And things were going sooo good for sooo long without this cockcheese in the news...

Well they have it all wrong, an Atari 5200 would do much more collateral damage to his face and head region, they should go with that option.

Jack Thompson really ought to stop Googling himself.

well he wants to be a millionaire by seventy... so that the way to go! 
 
Go Jack go!!!!

Loven Jack T.  Not as a person.  But damn,  That guy is the greatest troll ever.  The guys the damn king of it.  I can't hate a retard, have to feel sorry for them.  But still admire the way we pops up out of no where and completely Pwns so many gamers.  

He has a point, simple as that.
 
The poll and postings about Obama were removed, they said them selves threatening content is removed, yet it wasn't removed 120 million? no... Emotional Distress? no BUT he is right.
They were put on notice about such activities and they did nothing about it.

Its not about the importance, its not about the what is actively discussed in terms of threats BUT they were notified their Terms of use describe such acitivies as a breach of said terms of use.
and once you look beyond the crap of Jack Thompson hes actually a pretty nice and level headed guy and makes quite a few good points about gaming and its affects on children, I for one cheered his Ideal of holding retailers responsible for selling games to underage kids when games are clearly marked, most retailers clearly have age checks and in the states he was fighting for this it was illegal any ways.

*joins the group*

First time I hear about this guy and also the last I hope.

Well he hasn't got a job, and everyone has bills to pay. Or maybe he just misses lawsuits.

Oh wait, we still care about this guy with no influence on anything anymore?  
Also, now I can't stress enough how funny it would have been if the Wii was called Perfect Nintendo Entertainment System 
"Jack Thompson should be smacked in the face with a PNES"

" @WilliamRLBaker: Who cares if he has a point.  He's doing this because he's a pure attention whore, not because these "threatening messages" actually bother him.  He's shown time and time again that he doesn't care what it is that people think of him, just so long as they do. "

Honestly i had forgotten about this douchebag, what an attention whore. He must be really desperate now.

Can we all just agree to stop talking about him and hope he goes away?

"Well they have it all wrong, an Atari 5200 would do much more collateral damage to his face and head region, they should go with that option. "

"*ugh*  And things were going sooo good for sooo long without this cockcheese in the news... "

Didn't he have his license to practice law revoked?

come on, the people shouldnt have picked on him and facebook did nothin about it...

" Well they have it all wrong, an Atari 5200 would do much more collateral damage to his face and head region, they should go with that option. "

I am sorry I hardly think anything they were saying was actually threatening, I mean there is a difference between i want to smack this guy with a game system and hey lets go lynch the president. If we sued everytime we insulted or were insulted by someone off the internet we would all be broke and rich constantly.

$120 million for "emotional distress"??? If i were i judge i WOULd smack him in the face with an atari 2600... 

I'd smash him is genitals instead.

" I'd smash him is genitals instead. "

" Didn't he have his license to practice law revoked? "

I honestly enjoy hearing about what Jack Thompson is up to, just to see what everone's reply is :D

please people, stop giving this man the attention he so obviously is craving

They need to launch this guy off to the moon with no ride back.

The guy does have a point though ... :(

"The guy does have a point though ... :( "

That man is retarded.  
Suing somebody for letting other people practice their free speech?!

Those aren't threats.

Law suits like this are just dumb in general.  Ever wonder why coffee cups now say "Warning this coffee may be really fucking hot!!! So don't spill it on yourself because that would be bad, but everyone knows this, except for dumb asses." I'm paraphrasing, but that is there because someone spilled hot coffee on their legs and sued because they were burnt without warning.  In this Jack Thompson situation, you get into sticky situations as to what is a threat and what isn't, I don't think it is, I think it merely means, "Hey Jack Thompson, go fuck yourself and end your crusade against video games, NO ONE CARES!!!"  Although I could be wrong and someone is literally threatening Jack Thompson saying, "I will hit you with an atari system, you can bet your ass on it!!!  Also, its on like Donkey Kong!!"  Anyway what I am trying to say is that this is a stupid case, Facebook rules it protected by the freedom of speech and Jack Thompson wants to be noticed, as a result he makes a ridiculous suit and wants the courts to decide.

" Didn't he have his license to practice law revoked? "

If I could get my hands on this dude, I would Jack him good. 
 
Yeah, so I made a lame joke. Sue me.

" If I could get my hands on this dude, I would Jack him good.  Yeah, so I made a lame joke. Sue me. "

" Well they have it all wrong, an Atari 5200 would do much more collateral damage to his face and head region, they should go with that option. "

" Can we all just agree to stop talking about him and hope he goes away? "

" Well they have it all wrong, an Atari 5200 would do much more collateral damage to his face and head region, they should go with that option. "

I dislike Facebook and I dislike Jack Thompson, it's a win win situation for me!

$120 million for that? Can you sue for every threatening message directed at you on the internet? Wow, fanboys and trolls could be loaded right now.
 
I don't think that's very threatening anyways.

" *joins the group* "

" He has a point, simple as that.  The poll and postings about Obama were removed, they said them selves threatening content is removed, yet it wasn't removed 120 million? no... Emotional Distress? no BUT he is right."