Cite as: 598 U. S. ____ (2023)
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Opinion of the Court
NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the
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SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
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No. 21–1496
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TWITTER, INC., PETITIONER v. MEHIER
TAAMNEH, ET AL.
ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF
APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
[May 18, 2023]
JUSTICE THOMAS delivered the opinion of the Court.
Under 18 U. S. C. §2333, United States nationals who
have been “injured . . . by reason of an act of international
terrorism” may sue for damages. §2333(a). They are not
limited to suing the individual terrorists or organizations
that directly carried out the attack, however. That is because §2333(d)(2) also imposes civil liability on “any person
who aids and abets, by knowingly providing substantial assistance, or who conspires with the person who committed
such an act of international terrorism.” Victims of terrorist
acts therefore may seek to recover from those who aided
and abetted the terrorist act that injured them.
The plaintiffs (who are respondents) contend that they
have stated a claim for relief under §2333(d)(2). They were
allegedly injured by a terrorist attack carried out by ISIS.
But plaintiffs are not suing ISIS. Instead, they have
brought suit against three of the largest social-media companies in the world—Facebook, Twitter (who is petitioner),
and Google (which owns YouTube)—for allegedly aiding
and abetting ISIS. As plaintiffs allege, ISIS has used defendants’ social-media platforms to recruit new terrorists