Galloway wins permission to sue Google over terrorist comments
- 27 January 2016
- From the section Northern Ireland
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George Galloway has won permission to sue Google over a speech posted online by a loyalist campaigner in Belfast.
In 2014, YouTube footage was broadcast of a loyalist protest, in which Willie Frazer suggested the former Respect MP supported terrorism.
Protests outside the Ulster Hall, where Mr Galloway was speaking, centred on his reference, that year, to Bradford being an Israeli-free area.
Mr Galloway said the loyalist's remarks constituted a "hate speech".
On Wednesday, a High Court judge dismissed an attempt to stop Mr Galloway serving libel and harassment proceedings on Google, which owns YouTube, at its US headquarters.
He said: "Accusing an elected politician of being a supporter of terrorism and of the people who are 'beheading American citizens' is going to alarm anyone so accused and to cause him distress."
Mr Frazer is also being sued for the allegations made at the picket.
The legal action, which includes a further claim for misuse of private information, is believed to be the first of its kind in Europe.
Google asked the court to set aside an order which granted Mr Galloway leave to serve proceedings at its Delaware office.
However, this was dismissed by Mr Justice Horner, who granted leave to continue with the action.
The verdict, which clears the way for writs to be served outside Northern Ireland, represents a significant step forward in the politician's claim for damages.
The material, allegedly broadcast by Mr Frazer on YouTube, was viewed more than 17,000 times.
Justice Horner said that, in Northern Ireland especially, "right thinking people would, given the province's troubled history, regard support for terrorism as wholly unacceptable".
He added: "They would regard the support of a public representative for Islamic terrorists who carry out beheadings of innocent civilians as being totally beyond the pale."
Mr Galloway's solicitor, Kevin Winters of KRW Law, described the verdict as "a massive result".
