The fact that ISIS repeatedly uses Twitter to recruit jihadists and publicize its aims is an established one, and the complaint documents the link in detail. However, the complaint fails to provide direct evidence that ISIS used Twitter to plan the specific attack that killed Fields' husband. It is also doubtful that a court would hold Twitter accountable given its numerous attempts to shut down ISIS-run accounts.Motherboard contacted Twitter via email, and a spokesperson provided the following statement:"Even when Twitter shuts down an ISIS-linked account, it does nothing to stop it from springing right back up. According to the New York Times, the Twitter account of the pro- ISIS group Asawitiri Media has had 335 accounts. When its account @TurMedia333 was shut down, it started @TurMedia334. When that was shut down, it started @TurMedia335. This 'naming convention—adding one digit to a new account after the last one is suspended—does not seem as if it would require artificial intelligence to spot.'"
"While we believe the lawsuit is without merit, we are deeply saddened to hear of this family's terrible loss. Like people around the world, we are horrified by the atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups and their ripple effects on the Internet. Violent threats and the promotion of terrorism deserve no place on Twitter and, like other social networks, our rules make that clear. We have teams around the world actively investigating reports of rule violations, identifying violating conduct, partnering with organizations countering extremist content online, and working with law enforcement entities when appropriate.