SOCIAL MEDIA TRIBUNAL FINDS THREATS TO HUMANITY AND DEMOCRACY
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS COMPLICIT IN DEATHS OF USERS AND CHILDREN, INTERFERENCE OF ELECTIONS AND FACILITATING THE INCITEMENT OF GENOCIDE
BERLIN – The first international Social Media Tribunal, which opened with a statement by Nobel Peace laureate Maria Ressa, found “reasonable grounds to believe” that social media platforms do not comply with their own stated policies and principles governing international human rights. The Tribunal determined that "this failure is a direct result of the social media platforms' desire for increased profits”. Social media platforms are “knowingly and intentionally” permitting their services to be used by bad actors to commit cybercrimes, interfere in elections through the dissemination of false or misleading information, and are complicit in facilitating acts of genocide.
The Tribunal was held from March 16-21, 2025, in Berlin, with Prosecution Counsel, Defence Counsel and a panel of distinguished Judges who reviewed extensive evidence and testimony:
• Hon. Shira A. Scheindlin: Appointed by President Bill Clinton as a US Federal Judge (Presiding Judge).
• Herta Däubler-Gmelin – former German Justice Minister.
• Karnika Seth – Cyber law specialist who has practiced before the Supreme Court of India for the last 23 years.
The Judges recommended that national governments consider passing legislation to stop the crimes and human rights abuse and announced that the Court would reconvene in one year to assess whether the social media platforms have adopted critical reforms and fulfilled their obligation to protect the human rights of their users.
The Tribunal examined testimony from 24 witnesses, including survivors of online abuse, families of victims, cybersecurity experts, and whistleblowers from within the tech industry. The evidence revealed a disturbing pattern of negligence and complicity by social media platforms, including:
1. Teenage Suicide and Self-Harm
Testimony highlighted how algorithms on platforms like Instagram and TikTok promote harmful content, leading to increased rates of self-harm and suicide among teenagers. Victims include Nicola Harteveld, whose daughter committed suicide after online bullying: “If we do not act, if we do not hold people accountable, more children will die. More parents will stand where I’m standing now”, and Jane Doe, a victim of underage nude photo theft. Will Claxton and Brandon Guffey, fathers of victims of sextortion, shared evidence of how social media platforms enabled their tragic experiences.
2. Election Interference
Evidence showed how platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) were used to spread misinformation, manipulate public opinion, and interfere in democratic elections worldwide. Ana-Maria Udriste, an expert on electoral interference in Romania, provided key testimony, along with whistleblower Sophie Zhang, who exposed Facebook’s failure to address political manipulation: “Facebook knows about inauthentic accounts tied to politicians but often refuses to act—especially when they’re linked to powerful figures.’’
3. Incitement of Genocide
The Tribunal confirmed that Facebook played a crucial role in enabling the incitement of violence against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, contributing to a genocide that displaced over 700,000 people. Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya victim, testified: “Facebook's failure to act allowed the violence to continue, as hate speech was promoted, and the platform became a tool for the spread of genocide.” Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, added: “Meta knows its algorithm promotes hate. They proved it internally—then chose profits over safety by turning the dial back up.”
4. Hate Speech and Radicalization
Social media companies were found to amplify hate speech, leading to real-world violence and radicalization. Amanda Lima, a Brazilian journalist targeted by xenophobic attacks, and Carole Cadwalladr, who broke the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, shared their evidence. Alexandra Pascalidou, a journalist threatened by extremists, stated: “On Facebook, extremists coordinate physical threats—like surrounding me at book fairs—while the platform ignores reports. I’ve saved death threats as evidence, yet no action is taken.” Baroness Kidron, a UK children’s digital rights advocate, condemned platforms’ priorities: “The metrics for addressing harms are of a lower priority than the metrics of engagement, spread, and growth.” Hannah Mossman Moore, a stalking victim, added: “Almost all cases of stalking today include an online element. We need to hold social media platforms accountable. They are allowing perpetrators to continue to commit crimes online.”
The Tribunal was opened with a keynote statement by Maria Ressa,
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and renowned investigative journalist, who underscored the role of social media in enabling the spread of disinformation, division, and violence. Ressa emphasized the urgent need for regulation and accountability, stating:
''Big Tech has hacked our biology, changing the way we feel, act, and vote—without accountability. Without guardrails, truth dies, and democracy crumbles. We need urgent regulations to reclaim facts, restore trust, and protect our future''
Defence Counsel Pantelis Michalopoulos and Anne-Gabrielle Haie both partners at Steptoe LLP put forward a robust and vigorous defence of social media companies in general and their roles were limited to defending particular topics that were under consideration by the Tribunal namely: (1) the impact of social media on democracy, citizen well-being and safety including the impact of misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories on democratic discourse (2) hate speech but with explicit exclusion of any consideration or references to the Rohingya genocide (3) privacy violations and data exploitation (Defence asked us to include this in overview)
The Court of the Citizens of the World started under the patronage of the late Nuremberg Nazi war crimes prosecutor Ben Ferencz in 2022 with a historic trial in The Hague on the crime of aggression against Vladimir Putin, who received only three weeks later an official ICC arrest warrant for his role in abducting children. At the time, Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk declared: “The Citizens’ Court has motivated international courts to take action.”
The Tribunal has set a one-year deadline for social media platforms and governments to implement sweeping reforms. If significant changes are not made by March 21, 2026, the Court will reconvene to explore criminal liability for these platforms and regulatory inaction.
The Tribunal urged the United Nations, the European Union, and national legislatures to draft and enact new laws ensuring that tech companies cannot evade responsibility for human rights violations facilitated by their platforms.
To access full recordings, transcripts, and video testimony from the Social Media Tribunal, please visit:
https://www.youtube.com/@WorldCitizenCourt
https://www.the-court.eu/media
For press inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Email: media@the-court.eu
Website: the-court.eu
JUDGES
The Hon. SHIRA SCHEINDLIN - Appointed by President Bill Clinton as a US Federal Judge (Presiding Judge).
HERTA DÄUBLER-GMELIN – former German Justice Minister.
KARNIKA SETH – renowned Cyber lawyer and Public Policy Expert with 23 years of experience practicing before the Supreme Court of India and the Delhi High Court.
DEFENCE
PANTELIS MICHALOPOULOS – Partner at Steptoe LLP in the Washington office, specializing in telecommunications, media, AI, and internet law, representing major tech firms, public interest advocates, and local governments.
ANNE-GABRIELLE HAIE – Partner at Steptoe LLP in the Brussels office where she advises clients on a wide range of digital-related matters, with a strong focus on data protection, privacy and cybersecurity and expertise on AI and blockchain.
PROSECUTION
GABRIELE VINCENT TESE – founding partner at Cyber Law Firm, distinguished trial attorney with extensive expertise in technology and cyber law and litigation background in federal and state courts. Retired army officer with over 20 years service including roles in military intelligence and the Judge Advocate General’s Corps.
ARANTXA GEIJO JIMENEZ -Spanish attorney and expert in international criminal law and human rights law, managing partner of Geijo & Associates and former counsel for the INTERPOL General Secretariat Office of Legal Affairs.