Omegle Shut Down as Part of Civil Lawsuit Settlement

Omegle Shut Down as Part of Civil Lawsuit Settlement

Note (12/20/2023): A previous version of this article included a paragraph mentioning Laila Mickelwait. The paragraph has been removed at the request of Mickelwait’s lawyers, who raised objections based on their interpretation of its characterization of her motivation and the scope of her activism.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Video chat platform Omegle was shuttered earlier this week, reportedly as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit brought on behalf of a woman who met an alleged abuser through the service when she was a minor.

Brooklyn-based attorney Carrie Goldberg told tech news site 404 Media that Omegle owner Leif K-Brooks had closed down the site as a condition of a Nov. 2 settlement with her client. The case was dismissed at that time.

During the legal proceedings arising from the suit, a judge ruled that Section 230 did not shield Omegle because the alleged harms came not from the content but from the very design of the service, which prioritized anonymity and randomness.

K-Brooks launched Omegle in 2009 as an anonymous live chat site. Earlier this week, he posted a message on the site before taking it down, stating, “Virtually every tool can be used for good or for evil, and that is especially true of communication tools, due to their innate flexibility. The telephone can be used to wish your grandmother ‘happy birthday’, but it can also be used to call in a bomb threat. There can be no honest accounting of Omegle without acknowledging that some people misused it, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes.”

Referring to the Section 230 clause offering protection from liability in exchange for reasonable moderation, K- Brooks added, “I believe in a responsibility to be a ‘good Samaritan’, and to implement reasonable measures to fight crime and other misuse. That is exactly what Omegle did. In addition to the basic safety feature of anonymity, there was a great deal of moderation behind the scenes, including state-of-the-art AI operating in concert with a wonderful team of human moderators. Omegle punched above its weight in content moderation, and I’m proud of what we accomplished.”

The anonymous plaintiff, only identified by the initials A.M., filed a lawsuit in 2021, alleging that when she was 11 years old, she was randomly paired with an adult man who then “manipulated her into masturbating and urinating on camera in front of him over the course of three years,” 404 Media reported.

That man was later arrested by authorities, along with his stash of CSAM, which included pictures of A.M.

“This isn’t fucking free speech, you know, introducing strangers for the free exchange of ideas,” Goldberg said in a 2022 interview.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

FansRevenue Acquires DivaTraffic

FansRevenue has acquired web traffic service DivaTraffic.

AEBN Announces Peter Green as Top Male Boy/Girl Performer for Summer 2025

AEBN has revealed its top 10 male Boy/Girl performers for summer 2025, with Peter Green landing atop the leaderboard.

Spicey AI Relaunches Site, Debuts $Spicey Tokens

Interactive voice chat platform Spicey AI has relaunched its website and introduced $Spicey tokens.

FSC: Missouri Age Verification Rule Will Not Take Effect August 30

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced that Missouri's proposed age verification legislation will not take effect on August 30, as it had originally estimated.

Little Caprice, Marcello Bravo to Co-Host 2025 XMA Europa Awards

XBIZ is pleased to announce that husband-and-wife duo Little Caprice and Marcello Bravo will co-host adult’s biggest night in Europe: the 2025 XMA Europa Awards on Sept. 4, in the epic climax to XBIZ’s fall events series.

Germany Will Block Payments to AV-Noncompliant Adult Sites as of Dec. 1

Starting Dec. 1, Germany will implement new rules prohibiting financial institutions from providing payment services to adult sites deemed to have inadequate age verification systems and making it easier for the government to target websites mirroring the content of such sites.

Jerkmate Joins Pineapple Support as Partner-Level Sponsor

Jerkmate has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

FSC Launches Age Verification Toolkit for Adult Websites

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today that it has launched a comprehensive toolkit to help adult websites navigate age verification laws.

Romero Mr. Alien to Present XBIZ Talk at Amsterdam Conference

XBIZ is pleased to announce that noted producer/director Romero Mr. Alien, the impresario of the XMAs award-winning studio Hentaied, will present an exclusive talk at next month’s Amsterdam conference.

New Fansly Analytics Platform 'SlyKiwi' Launches

SlyKiwi, a new analytics platform exclusively designed for Fansly content, has officially launched.

Show More