In May 2024, families of Uvalde school shooting victims filed lawsuits against Meta, Activision, and Daniel Defense.
Meta prohibits the buying or selling of weapons on its platforms but allows users to violate this policy up to ten times before being banned.
Ramos had been playing Call of Duty since he was 15 years old and was targeted with ads on Instagram by Daniel Defense.
Ramos purchased an AR-15 style rifle eight days after downloading Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
In May 2024, families of victims from the Uvalde school shooting filed lawsuits against three companies: Meta (parent company of Instagram), Activision (publisher of Call of Duty video games), and Daniel Defense (gun manufacturer). The lawsuits allege that these companies contributed to the behavior of the shooter, Salvador Ramos, by exposing him to weapons and violent content. According to various sources, Ramos had been playing Call of Duty since he was 15 years old and was targeted with ads on Instagram by Daniel Defense.
The lawsuits claim that Meta and Activision knowingly exposed Ramos to the weapon used in the shooting, conditioned him to see it as a solution to his problems, and trained him to use it. The families argue that these companies exploited social media platforms to groom vulnerable young men like Ramos.
Ramos purchased an AR-15 style rifle eight days after downloading Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, which featured weapons made by Daniel Defense. He also frequently visited Instagram, where he was exposed to ads for the gunmaker's products. The lawsuit argues that Meta gave gunmakers an unsupervised channel to speak directly to minors and that its leniency towards firearms sellers allowed them to reach potential buyers more easily.
Meta prohibits the buying or selling of weapons on its platforms, but users can violate this policy up to ten times before being banned. Activision has expressed sympathy for the victims and their families but maintains that millions of people enjoy video games without turning to violent acts.
The lawsuits seek damages for wrongful death and are ongoing.
Families of Uvalde school shooting victims are suing the manufacturer of the gun used in the attack, a video game maker, and Instagram parent company Meta.
The companies are accused of ‘grooming’ young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world with easily accessible weapons.
Ramos had been playing Call of Duty since he was 15 years old and was targeted with ads on Instagram by Daniel Defense.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(70%)
The article by Brandon Drenon makes several deceptive statements and implications. Firstly, the author implies that there is a causal relationship between playing violent video games and committing mass shootings without providing any concrete evidence to support this claim. Secondly, the author uses emotional manipulation by describing the families' loss as 'heartbreaking' and 'horrendous', which may sway readers' emotions towards agreeing with the author's perspective. Lastly, there is a selective reporting of facts in the article as it only mentions Daniel Defense being targeted for advertising on Instagram without mentioning that other companies also advertise on the platform. However, since there is no clear lie or misrepresentation of facts by omission, and the author's opinions are clearly stated as such, the score is 70.
There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting
Instagram creates a connection between ... an adolescent ... and the gun and a gun company
The companies are accused of being responsible for 'grooming' a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to causation by stating that the companies 'knowingly exposed' the gunman to the weapon and conditioned him to use it. This is a fallacy as there is no evidence provided that directly links the companies' actions to the shooting. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by referring to these companies as a 'three-headed monster' and accusing them of 'grooming' young people and preying upon them.
>The companies are accused of being responsible for ‘grooming’ a generation of young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world, with easily accessible weapons of war.<br>Three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.<br>Instagram creates a connection between … an adolescent … and the gun and a gun company.
The author's statement that 'There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting.' is not supported by any evidence in the article.
The families of the shooting victims at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas have sued Activision and Meta.
Meta prohibits the buying or selling of weapons on its platforms, but users can violate this policy up to ten times before being banned.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(0%)
The author makes editorializing statements and uses emotional manipulation by implying that the companies are directly responsible for the Uvalde shooting through their products. She also selectively reports information by focusing on the alleged connection between Call of Duty and Instagram to the shooting, while ignoring other potential factors. The author does not provide any peer-reviewed studies or facts to support her claims.
The plaintiffs also accused the companies of "chewing up alienated teenage boys and spitting out mass shooters."
The families of the shooting victims at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas have sued Call of Duty publisher Activision and Meta. They alleged that the companies "knowingly exposed the shooter to the weapon [he used], conditioned him to see it as the solution to his problems, and trained him to use it."
An Activision spokesperson told The Washington Post and Bloomberg Law that the "Uvalde shooting was horrendous and heartbreaking in every way," and that the company expresses its deepest sympathies to the families, but "millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts."
Fallacies
(85%)
The author makes an appeal to authority fallacy by quoting the lawyer's statement that 'They couldn't have reached this kid but for Instagram.' This implies that the lawyer's opinion is factual and true, when in reality it is just an opinion. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Meta and Activision 'chewed up alienated teenage boys and spit out mass shooters.' This statement is not based on facts, but rather an emotional reaction to the tragedy.
]The truth is that the gun industry and Daniel Defense didn't act alone. They couldn't have reached this kid but for Instagram.[/
They chewed up alienated teenage boys and spit out mass shooters.
Bias
(75%)
The author makes a clear statement implying blame towards Activision and Meta for the Uvalde school shooting by quoting the plaintiffs' lawyer stating 'They couldn't have reached this kid but for Instagram.' This is an example of monetary bias as it implies that these companies are responsible for the actions of an individual due to their products.
The truth is that the gun industry and Daniel Defense didn’t act alone. They couldn’t expose him to the dopamine loop of virtually killing a person. That’s what Call of Duty does.
They couldn’t have reached this kid but for Instagram.
Three companies - Meta, Activision, and Daniel Defense - are facing wrongful death lawsuits over the Uvalde school shooting in 2022.
Ramos purchased a DDM4V7 rifle eight days after downloading the game, which he used in the shooting.
Meta (parent company of Instagram) and Daniel Defense used Instagram to market weapons and glorify violence.
Accuracy
The companies are accused of ‘grooming’ young people who live out violent video game fantasies in the real world with easily accessible weapons.
Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Fallacies
(75%)
The author makes an appeal to authority by stating that investigators found one of the shooter's AR-15 style rifles in the school and quoting a statement from then-Texas state Sen. John Whitmire. She also uses inflammatory rhetoric by describing the companies as 'grooming' the shooter and 'harnessing and exploiting' teenagers, implying that they are responsible for his actions.
The Defendants bear responsibility for this profound corruption of our children.
There is a direct line between the conduct of these companies and the Uvalde shooting.
Millions of people around the world enjoy video games without turning to horrific acts.
Bias
(50%)
The author makes no overtly biased statements in the article. However, the language used to describe the companies and their alleged actions could be perceived as biased by some readers. The author uses phrases like 'grooming', 'teaser for players', 'harnessing and exploiting', and 'conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems' when describing the actions of Meta, Activision, and Daniel Defense. These phrases could be seen as implying that the companies are responsible for the shooting in a causal way, which may not be accurate or fair. Additionally, there is no counterargument or perspective presented from the companies to balance out this language.
The suits allege that Meta, Activision and Daniel Defense all contributed to the behavior of the shooter in one way or another.
This three-headed monster knowingly exposed him to the weapon, conditioned him to see it as a tool to solve his problems and trained him to use it.
Within weeks of downloading Modern Warfare, the Shooter was browsing assault weapons, acquiring firearm attachments popularized by the game, and returning repeatedly to Daniel Defense’s website.
