‘Curmudgeonly old man’ sues Facebook, Google over ‘woke’ policies

An Iowan who describes himself as a “curmudgeonly old man” is suing Google, YouTube and Facebook, claiming the internet giants are stifling his right to voice opposition to their “left-wing, woke censorship and suppression of free speech.”

Timothy-Allen Albertson, 67, of Council Bluffs is suing the companies in state court for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights. In his court filings, Albertson says Google and YouTube’s terms of service and community standards are unenforceable and are against public policy, at least as they pertain to what he considers his First Amendment rights.

In his petition, Albertson he says he has “serious legal and political issues” with gay males and transgender people and LGBTQ organizations that he calls “the Ku Klux Trans.” He details his “very personal opposition to the housing of biological male prisoners, particularly those with functioning male genitalia, who identify as women in women’s correctional facilities,” saying the practice will result in the terrorizing of female prisoners.

In court papers, he also claims to be opposed to same-sex marriage for males and supportive of same-sex marriage for women, and he makes note of his own “strong assertions” that President Joe Biden is a pedophile, a claim that lacks any evidence. He calls himself a “person with an acerbic and caustic style and wit,” while acknowledging he has “often been described as a troll” – a term used to describe internet users who try to provoke others or create conflict.

“While he takes great pride in that description, plaintiff thinks of himself as a counter-troll,” the lawsuit states.

Albertson takes issue with the “Censorship Industrial Complex” and alleges YouTube has engaged in shadow banning, which is the practice of blocking a user’s content from some areas of the online community in a way that’s not readily apparent to the user. The effect of the shadow banning, Albertson alleges, is that his content is not visible to other YouTube users. The intent of the shadow banning, he argues, is to limit reactions to his comments so that he will become bored and discouraged from continuing to use the platform.

This has led to “humiliation, mortification, great pain and suffering of mind and body and other personal injury,” Albertson claims. In his lawsuit against Google and YouTube, he is seeking general damages of $100,000, plus special damages of $10,000 for medical expenses, plus punitive damages of $300,000.

In a separate lawsuit filed against Facebook, Albertson complains the company has prevented him from using an image of a rainbow flag with a swastika superimposed on it, and blocked him from using a doctored image of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wearing a Nazi uniform.

He also alleges Facebook has removed from his pages some of his written comments and has, usually for a period of 30 days, suspended his ability to post to Facebook.

Albertson told the Iowa Capital Dispatch he has issues with the federal government, in particular with the so-called “deep state” bureaucracies that he claims actually run the government.

In court filings, Albertson noted that he collects financial assistance from the government in the form of Supplemental Security Income for the disabled and aged; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding for food; the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program assistance; Section 42 housing tax credits for low-income people; the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program; Medicaid; the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waiver program; the Medicare; the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; and the Affordable Connectivity Program.

“That may seem self-serving,” Albertson told the Capital Dispatch. “But I have never had a problem with federal assistance programs.”

Albertson’s assets, which he listed for the court, include $100 worth of books and $700 worth of guns.