AOL Time Warner Inc's America Online unit was accused in a lawsuit of condoning discrimination against Muslims in Internet chat rooms sponsored by the largest Internet-access provider.
Muslim AOL users are subjected to chat-room comments that their religion is "false" and also that followers of Islam are "damned and cursed," Saad Noah, a Muslim customer of the Reston, Virginia-based service, said in a lawsuit filed today.
Repeated requests to AOL to sanction or remove members who post discriminatory comments went unheeded, he said.
Noah faces an uphill battle because the US courts have been reluctant to hold Internet service providers responsible for chat-room postings, legal experts say.
"As a general rule, ISPs have immunity from liability for the postings of their users," said Jon Moskin, a New York City lawyer.
The suit contends that AOL officials are violating federal laws barring discrimination in so-called public accommodations by not removing members who barrage Muslims with hate speech in chat rooms. Those rooms let Internet users from around the world discuss issues and post comments on a variety of topics.
AOL officials said they don't tolerate discrimination or hate speech on their system but rely on users to alert company officials when there is a problem.
The company will ban repeat offenders, he added. "We believe this lawsuit is totally without merit."
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