Twitter has disclosed details of users in France who posted anti-Semitic messages, the U.S.-based website said.
Twitter said in a statement July 12 that it had handed over to French authorities details about the users to end a legal fight that started last year, when several French anti-racist groups sued Twitter for allowing hate speech.
Twitter declined to say how many users it reported or what details it transmitted, but said the disclosure “puts an end to the dispute” between Twitter and the Union of Jewish Students of France, or UEJF, which sued Twitter last year along with several other anti-racism groups.
Last month, the Paris Court of Appeals upheld a Jan. 24 ruling that said Twitter must provide data on some users to the UEJF and four other organizations that filed a complaint against the company last November. The users were guilty of violating French hate speech laws and Twitter must release information about the offenders, the court ruled.
Twitter argued in court that since it is an American company it adheres to U.S. laws and is protected by the First Amendment and its broad free speech liberties. — jta