05/19/2023

SCOTUS Rules for Google, Twitter on Terror-related Content

The justices sidestepped requests to limit Section 230

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled Thursday that the families of terrorism victims had not proved Google, Twitter and Facebook helped foster attacks on their loved ones, and handed a greater victory to the tech industry by declining to weigh in on a protective internet law at the center of the debate over social media regulation.

The families “never allege that, after defendants established their platforms, they gave ISIS any special treatment or words of encouragement,” Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for a unanimous court. “Nor is there reason to think that defendants selected or took any action at all with respect to ISIS’ content (except, perhaps, blocking some of it).”

The case involved allegations against Twitter, Facebook and Google, which owns YouTube. The court adopted similar reasoning in a separate lawsuit against Google filed by a different family.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.