French Jewish student group to sue Twitter

A French Jewish student group has announced it will sue Twitter after it failed to reveal the authors of a series of anti-Semitic tweets.

France’s Union of Jewish Students (UEJF) says it will take on the global networking site and its CEO Dick Costolo for failure to respond to a French court order to identify the Twitter users.

"Twitter is playing the indifference card in not respecting the decision of January 24," when a Paris civil court gave the company two weeks to hand over the requested information, said UEJF President, Jonathan Hayoun on Wednesday.

"In protecting the anonymity of the author of these tweets it is making itself an accomplice and offering a highway for racists and anti-Semites," Hayoun added.

On Wedensday, the UEJF filed a summons for Twitter to appear before the civil court's criminal division.

The association is claiming 38.5 million euros in damages which it says it will donate to the Shoah Memorial fund.

Twitter said it planned to appeal the January 24 decision on Thursday and that it had only been notified of the ruling a few days ago.

On Sunday French President François Hollande called for the names of the authors of the anti-Semitic tweets to be released.