CNN Faces Project Veritas Lawsuit for Comments About Twitter Suspension

A months-long war of words between CNN and Project Veritas has 
escalated into an actual libel suit. On Tuesday, James O’Keefe’s 
outfit filed a complaint in Georgia after a CNN anchor discussed 
Twitter’s suspension of Project Veritas and attempted to explain 
that “this is part of a much broader crackdown … by social media 
giants on accounts that are promoting misinformation.”

Project Veritas is more accustomed to being a defendant in court 
over its brand of ambush journalism. The conservative group has 
largely been successful in fending off suits for surreptitiously 
recording targets, but O’Keefe certainly tempts fate at times 
such as when he called into CNN’s edit meetings last year and 
then leaked taped comments from executives and staffers. That 
move had CNN suggesting broken laws.  “We’ve referred it to law 
enforcement,” a network spokesperson said at the time.

Instead, it’s Project Veritas in court as plaintiff upon CNN’s 
discussion of the group’s suspension on Twitter.

“We’re starting to see companies crack down to try to stop the 
spread of misinformation and to hold some people who are 
spreading accountable,” said Ana Cabera on a Feb. 14 show. “For 
example, Twitter has suspended the account of Project Veritas, a 
conservative activist organization — at least that’s how they 
couch themselves with followers including Donald Trump Jr., Eric 
Trump — but this is part of a much broader crackdown, as we 
mentioned, by social media giants on accounts that are promoting 
misinformation.”

Brian Stelter, CNN’s chief media reporter, responded by noting 
that rules by social media companies had grown more strict and 
enforcement more confusing, and that groups like Project Veritas 
“got swept up in a Twitter policy by violating multiple rules on 
the site.”

Whether the context aids CNN in its defense remains to be seen,  
but for now, Project Veritas is keying on the notion that it was 
suspended for “promoting misinformation” when reportedly, the 
group was actually suspended for sharing people’s private 
information without consent. In other words, a different sin in 
the social media company’s eyes. But, at least according to 
Project Veritas, an important distinction.

A privacy violation “does not impugn the organization’s 
journalistic integrity and reputation; [An allegation of 
promoting misinformation] clearly does,” states the complaint.

“CNN was fully aware, and had extensively reported, on Twitter’s 
given reason for banning Project Veritas,” adds the complaint.

A spokesperson for CNN didn’t immediately respond to an 
opportunity to comment, although given the recent history 
between the two organizations, there seems to be the possibility 
of counterclaims.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/cnn-
project-veritas-lawsuit-twitter-suspension-4175009/