In a lawsuit, Marc J. Strohl, a Manhattan accountant, claims that LinkedIn employed tactics reminiscent of Nazi policies when it banned him from the platform. Strohl, a self-identified “proud Jew” with a following of approximately 14,000 on both his personal account and business profile for ProTax Consulting Services, contends that his outspoken stance against antisemitism led to his removal. He also notes that he lost relatives in both the Holocaust and the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack, which killed 1,200 Israelis, according to the court documents.
Strohl, 59, alleges he frequently reported or commented on antisemitic posts on LinkedIn, including those praising the terror group Hamas and the massacre, as well as posts glorifying Adolf Hitler and Nazis. He provided screenshots to The Post of some of these offensive posts, which included messages like “Death to Israel” and one that referred to Jews as “cruel and emotionless animals that need to be extinct.”
“Most of the reports I filed against people [whose comments] … were abusive to the point of hate speech,” Strohl explained. “They didn’t take any action, to the best of my knowledge.” His LinkedIn account was allegedly suspended twice in 2024 before being permanently banned in October, without explanation, as stated in his lawsuit filed with the Manhattan Supreme Court.
In his claim, Strohl draws a parallel to Nazi-era practices, asserting, “The Nazis engaged in similar such behavior in Germany in the 1930s of excluding Jews from public places and from businesses.” He also mentions being aware of other Jews and Zionists who have faced similar bans on LinkedIn, calling the problem “absolutely huge.” Strohl attributes the issue partly to LinkedIn outsourcing content moderation to countries with a history of antisemitic sentiment, including Pakistan and South Africa.
According to Strohl, he was subjected to harsher standards compared to Muslim, Arab, or “pro-Palestine” accounts, a claim he includes in the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages. After the October 7, 2023 attack, pro-Hamas sentiment allegedly became widespread on the platform, prompting a pro-Israel supporter to create a website listing users who supported the terror group. Strohl argues that LinkedIn’s algorithms and “Trust & Safety Team” failed to remove posts endorsing Hamas, criticizing Israel, or praising Hitler and Nazis, stating that the company defended such posts, asserting they did not violate LinkedIn’s terms of service.
Strohl asserts that his ban has negatively impacted his reputation and business, explaining that he previously received significant referrals from LinkedIn. His removal from the platform has had a noticeable effect on his professional life.
Strohl’s lawyer, Ava Zelenetsky, described the situation as a “selective double standard” that allows antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda to thrive while suppressing Jewish and Israeli voices. She added, “It’s a selective double standard that permits antisemitic and anti-Israel propaganda to flourish while chilling speech and silencing Jewish and Israeli voices just as they did in Germany in the 1930s.” Strohl is seeking the reinstatement of his LinkedIn account.
{Matzav.com}