A New York accountant whose family members were killed in the October 7 Hamas attack is taking legal action against LinkedIn after the platform blocked his account. Marc J. Strohl, 59, claims the ban came after he repeatedly flagged anti-Semitic content.
The New York Post explains that Strohl "regularly reported or commented on antisemitic LinkedIn posts, including messages “that appeared to praise” the terror group and the massacre, as well as “posts on LinkedIn that praised Adolf Hitler and Nazis ... He alerted the platform to multiple offensive remarks, according to screenshots provided to The Post, including, “Death to Israel,” and a post that described Jews as “cruel and emotionless animals that need to be extinct.”
Strohl, who runs a 25-year-old accounting firm, argues the platform's actions have hurt his business and professional standing. His lawsuit seeks damages and account restoration, alleging discrimination against Jewish and pro-Israel users.
Linkedin initially cited terms of service violations but didn't specify which rules were broken. After an October 19 appeal, LinkedIn blamed an algorithmic error and temporarily restored access, only to permanently restrict his account later that month without explanation.
Before October 7, Strohl regularly reported anti-Semitic posts on LinkedIn, where he had 14,000 followers. He says such content increased after the attack, including posts calling for violence against Jews and promoting conspiracy theories.
"LinkedIn is selectively enforcing rules against Jewish and Zionist users who support Israel's right to defend itself," Strohl told reporters. He claims other Jewish users have faced similar restrictions when reporting anti-Semitic content.
According to the New York Post, "In the past [Strohl] got significant referrals from LinkedIn — and his removal from the platform has been noticeable."
His lawyer, Ava Zelenetsky, explained, “It’s a selective double standard that permits antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda to flourish while ... silencing Jewish and Israeli voices just as they did in Germany in the 1930s.”
The accountant, whose wife is Israeli and whose daughters hold dual citizenship, seeks compensation for business losses, reputational damage, and emotional distress from exposure to hate speech.
Ynet contributed to this article.
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