(July 25, 2024 – Jacksonville, Florida) A 76-year-old Florida woman issuing Google for deplatforming her an hour after she emailed members of her pro-life group to join her for a Catholic Mass and prayer gathering in front of a Jacksonville abortion clinic. Thomas More Society attorneys are representing long-time pro-life leader Trudy Perez-Poveda in the lawsuit against the multinational big-tech giant, Google, filed July 25, 2024, in a Jacksonville, Florida trial court. Without explanation, Google also refused to give her any access whatsoever to more than 11 years of her stored emails, photographs, calendars, contacts and other personal data.

The lawsuit appears to be the first of its kind in seeking to enforce parts of Florida’s groundbreaking anti-censorship law since the state law was challenged at the United States Supreme Court in Moody v. Net Choice. The Florida anti-censorship law, among other things, prohibits large social-media companies from censoring or deplatforming private users without promptly and thoroughly explaining the reason for such censorship. Mrs. Perez’ lawsuit shows, using Google’s own communications, that Google would not give her any explanation whatsoever, other than a belated and vague reference generally to its “Acceptable Use Policies.”

Mrs. Perez repeatedly demanded an explanation, since as she informed Google’s representative, there was nothing she had written that remotely violated Google’s “Acceptable Use Policies.” Google expressly refused to tell her what she allegedly had done or even what policy she allegedly had violated. On behalf of Mrs. Perez, Thomas More Society made an initial legal demand on her behalf, but that demand was met by absolute silence. The lawsuit seeks the return of her property, which even Google acknowledges rightfully belongs to Mrs. Perez and not to Google.

Matt Heffron, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel, stated: “There is an ominous growth of censorship in this country. Large social-media companies act as a ‘digital public square,’ and play a central role in the debate of ideas. Our case, Trudy v. Google, is part of the urgent and overdue pushback against this rising tide of censorship. Nobody should be treated the way Google treated Trudy Perez. She is a delightful person: humorous, warm, peaceful, prayerful, and absolutely persistent. Thomas More Society is proud to be fighting for her.”

Trudy Perez-Poveda, Thomas More Society client and plaintiff, said: “People ask me what it felt like when Google abruptly shut me down. My reply is, ‘It felt like coming home to a house, which took me twelve years to furnish with family mementos and treasures, and find it completely empty without even a note explaining why.’”  

Read the Complaint seeking preliminary and permanent injunction filed July 25, 2024, by Thomas More Society attorneys in the Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial Circuit, in and for Duval County, Florida, in Gertrude Perez-Poveda v. Google, LLC, John Doe agents and/or employees of Google, LLC, here.