The U.S. based advocacy group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) this week filed a federal lawsuit against Facebook, Inc. complaining that Facebook has blocked access throughout the country of India to SFJ's Facebook page. The complaint (
full text) in
Sikhs For Justice"SFJ", Inc. v. Facebook, Inc., (ND CA, filed 6/2/2015), contends that Facebook is subject to the public accommodation provisions of the federal 1964 Civil Rights Act and California's Unruh Civil Rights Act. It alleges that Facebook collaborated with the government of India in retaliating against SFJ for its online campaign against forced conversion of Christians, Muslims and Sikhs to Hinduism; support for a referendum in Punjab for an independent Sikh country; and amendment of the Indian constitution's provision that labels Sikhs as Hindus. The complaint alleges further:
Defendant willfully, intentionally, purposefully, knowingly, recklessly, and/or negligently deprived Plaintiff and its members in the entire India of the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of Defendant’s internet-based social networking service as a place of public accommodation, as defined in 42 USC Section 2000a.
... Defendant did so deprive Plaintiff and its members with discrimination and segregation on the ground of race, religion, ancestry, and national origin.
Times of India reports on the lawsuit.
