Benzinga | Jan 6, 2022 03:26PM EST

Lawsuit Aims To Hold Facebook Liable For Death Of Federal Security Guard: WSJ

* A lawsuit seeks to hold Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:FB) liable for a federal security guard's murder in 2020, the Wall Street Journal reports.

* Angela Underwood Jacobs alleged the plot behind the murder of her brother, Dave Underwood, was hatched by anti-government extremists on Facebook.

* As per federal prosecutors, Dave was shot and killed by a man who had traveled to Oakland, Calif., to kill federal agents.

* The lawsuit alleged that the man connected with another individual on Facebook before traveling to Oakland.

* The two men "connected through Facebook's groups' infrastructure and its use of algorithms designed and intended to increase user engagement," the lawsuit said.

* Ms. Underwood Jacobs's complaint said the two men came together on the boogaloo group because Facebook recommended that one of them join the group.

* Ms. Underwood Jacobs's lawyer, Tory Nugent, said, "The act of recommending that people join groups that share inflammatory content makes Facebook more than a passive platform protected by Section 230."

* "Facebook aided and abetted an act of domestic terrorism," Ms. Underwood Jacobs said. "No one is holding Facebook accountable, and that's wrong."

* Price Action: FB shares traded higher by 2.75% at $333.09 on the last check Thursday.