Buzzfeed got listicle-trolled by the guy suing them in court filing
Buzzfeed got trolled in court.
The website's been embroiled in a lawsuit with a Russian tech executive since early February, a spat that stems from Buzzfeed's decision to publish a dossier of unverified information alleging a number of ways in which Russian officials compromised the electoral affairs of the United States in 2016. The dossier describes how Aleksej Gubarev—CEO of XBT Holdings, of which Florida-based Webzilla is a part—was "recruited under duress" to become a major part of the Russian-led hacks of American campaign officials.
'Goes without saying, but Gubarev wasn't happy about this, and filed a lawsuit in Florida. Buzzfeed was not happy about the location of the filing, and asked for it to be moved to New York City or thrown out.
Then came the trolling:
"Six ways Buzzfeed has misled the court (number two will amaze you!) ... and a picture of a kitten!"
That's what Gubarev's lawyers filed to counter Buzzfeed's motion to switch jurisdiction. Anyone who's ever been to Buzzfeed knows it's famous for its innocuous lists, and though it's not clear whether the lawyers did this to troll the defendant or if they were out for clicks of their own, mission accomplished, on both counts.
But oh, the trolling continues in the text:
"In a somewhat remarkable Motion to Dismiss, Plaintiffs Buzzfeed, Inc. (“Buzzfeed”) and Ben Smith (“Mr. Smith”) intimate that their ties to Florida are so sparse that, collectively, they can barely find Florida on a map and that, as a result, the present case should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction or transferred to the Southern District of New York," Gubarev's lawyers wrote.
Buzzfeed apologized to Gubarev after the lawsuit was filed, and has since removed Gubarev's name from the dossier text. This, however, hasn't stopped the legal proceedings, and today Buzzfeed responded with a bit of bewilderment to the most recent filing.
"We're surprised by the plaintiffs' desire to make light of this matter, and we are confident in our motion to dismiss Mr. Gubarev's suit," a Buzzfeed spokesperson said via email.
You can read more from the listicle filing, below.
Update 1:25 p.m. ET: Updated with a statement from Buzzfeed.
Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
