Kyle Rittenhouse’s Attorney Blames Richard Jewell Smear On Facebook — 8 Years Before It Launched

TOPLINE

An attorney for accused Kenosha shooting suspect Kyle Rittenhouse complained on Twitter Friday that “Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook declared Richard Jewell, to be a ‘mass murderer’ ’’ referring to the man accused then exonerated in the 1996 bombing at  Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta; an incident that happened eight years before Facebook’s launch.

KEY FACTS

key background

Years of criticism that social media sites have not done enough to rein in hate speech and postings from groups that advocate violence resulted this year in stepped-up action from Facebook and Twitter. Facebook said pages, groups and Instagram accounts associated with militia organizations would be removed when they discuss potential violence.  Still, Zuckerberg acknowledged, in a video posted to Facebook, that the social media giant made a mistake by not quickly removing a page run by a group called “Kenosha Guard” that urged people in Kenosha to “take up arms,” according to media reports about the page which has since been taken down. Also, starting July 30, Twitter said it would censor tweets that link to hate speech and violence, according to Digital Trends. Rittenhouse’s case has yet to have an extended court hearing in which a judge would rule on what speech by the participants is allowed. Law enforcement investigating the case has been circumspect, offering few briefings.

further reading

Discover Blocks Credit Card Donations To Christian Site Collecting For Alleged Teen Shooter Kyle Rittenhouse (Forbes)

Lawyer: Illinois Teen Charged With Kenosha Shootings, Kyle Rittenhouse, A ‘Scapegoat’ Who May Fight Extradition (Forbes)