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X Objects to Unmasking Anonymous Users in Tate Brothers' Defamation Lawsuit
X filed a response on May 11, 2026, arguing that a Florida lawsuit by Andrew and Tristan Tate fails to meet First Amendment standards required to unmask anonymous users. The social media platform cited long-standing Supreme Court protections for anonymous internet speech. The case stems from the Tates' claims that more than a dozen accounts engaged in a conspiratorial plot to defame them.
May 15, 9:44 AM·2m read1 source
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X filed a response on May 11, 2026, objecting to a request to disclose anonymous account holders targeted in a lawsuit brought by Andrew and Tristan Tate. The company stated that the United States Supreme Court has long recognized that the right to speak anonymously on the internet, including via social media platforms, is protected.
X added that the suit has not satisfied the First Amendment safeguards required to prevent chilling effects.
The Tate brothers filed suit against the owners of more than a dozen social media accounts last year. Their original complaint claimed the accounts engaged in a “Conspiratorial Plot” to defame them. ” A Florida court ruled that the Tate brothers' claims could not be brought against unidentified defendants.
The brothers then filed an amended complaint against the users they could identify. They also filed a complaint against X demanding it disclose the anonymous account holders. Last month, an attorney for the so-called Doe defendants filed a motion for a protective order seeking to block their personal information from being disclosed.
X's May 11, 2026 response objected to that effort on multiple legal grounds, with particular emphasis on the risk to anonymous speech. The accounts in question tracked legal actions against Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate. Andrew Tate is accused of rape and human trafficking in the UK and Romania.
Tristan Tate is accused of some of the same crimes as Andrew Tate. The brothers deny the accusations. The Tate brothers were brought back to the US in 2025 reportedly with help from the Trump administration.
