Section 230

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Omegle Shut Down as Part of Civil Lawsuit Settlement

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.

ACLU, FSC Raise Objections to Senate's New Section 230-Busting Bill

An ACLU-led coalition of civil rights groups and groups representing LGBTQ+ individuals, sex workers, journalists and libraries issued an open letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday warning against the Strengthening Transparency and Obligations to Protect Children Suffering from Abuse and Mistreatment (STOP CSAM) Act.

Ninth Circuit Refuses to Rehear Anti-Porn Lobby's Lawsuit Against Twitter

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday delivered another defeat to the NCOSE-sponsored lawsuit attempting to establish liability for Twitter over user-generated content, denying the plaintiffs a full rehearing.

SCOTUS Rejects NCOSE-Promoted Lawsuit Targeting Reddit

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to take up an NCOSE-sponsored case that sought to create liability for Reddit over third-party user material, using FOSTA-SESTA to bypass Section 230 protections.

Supreme Court Upholds Section 230 for Social Media Platforms

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Section 230, ruling in favor of Twitter, Facebook and YouTube/Google in two cases that were being closely watched by free speech and digital rights advocates.

NCOSE Goes All-In on Banning Adult Content Online With 2023 Target List

Religiously inspired anti-porn lobby NCOSE this week released its latest annual “Dirty Dozen” list of companies it is currently targeting, focusing exclusively on online platforms.

Appeals Court Upholds Section 230, Dismisses NCOSE-Sponsored Lawsuit Against Twitter

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit sponsored by anti-porn activists against Twitter over user-uploaded content, upholding Section 230.

Supreme Court Hears Arguments on Potentially Pivotal Section 230 Case

The U.S. Supreme Court today heard oral arguments on the first of two important cases concerning online speech, content moderation and Section 230 protections.

Texas Attorney General Files Brief to Narrow Section 230 Protections

Texas’ Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an amicus brief yesterday urging the U.S. Supreme Court to radically narrow the scope of Section 230 protection for websites.

9th Circuit Upholds Section 230 Protections in Reddit Case

A three-judge Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals panel has upheld a district court’s dismissal of a civil lawsuit attempting to circumvent Section 230 and hold Reddit liable for third-party content under a federal civil sex trafficking statute.

Sen. Manchin Pushes for Anti-Section 230 Snitching Mandate Targeting 'Suspicious' Content

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has renewed his efforts to erode Section 230 liability protections by inserting his extremely controversial “See Something, Say Something” bill into the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act.

Utah Senator, Mormon Activist Single Out Adult Sites With 'PROTECT Act'

Utah Senator Mike Lee (R) and Mormon activist Dawn Hawkins, CEO of religiously motivated anti-porn lobby NCOSE, are promoting the PROTECT Act, a proposed federal bill that would make adult websites liable for third-party content.

SCOTUS to Take Up Section 230 Challenges

The U.S. Supreme Court announced today that it will hear two cases that could lead to landmark decisions about Section 230 liability protection for online platforms.

FSC Joins ACLU in Filing Amicus Briefs in Section 230 Cases

Free Speech Coalition has joined civil rights and sex worker rights groups in filing “friend of the court” amicus briefs defending Twitter, Craigslist and Omegle against FOSTA-enabled civil litigation alleging they profited from sex trafficking. 

Sen. Ron Wyden, Author of Section 230, Vows to 'Fight Like Hell' to Protect It

In response to a Wired article published today warning that Section 230 is a “last line of defense for abortion speech online,” the law’s co-author Sen. Ron Wyden vowed to “keep fighting like hell" to protect it.

Supreme Court Puts Texas Online Platform Liability Law on Hold

In an unusual 5-4 vote that did not follow ideological lines, the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a controversial Texas social media law that would have made social media platforms liable for moderating content based on what the law defined as “viewpoints.”

5th Circuit Gives Go Ahead to Controversial Texas Social Media Liability Law

A three-judge appeals panel ruled today that an extremely controversial new Texas law making online platforms liable for “viewpoint discrimination” can go into effect immediately.

Corey Silverstein to Lead Section 230 'Legal Impact' Webinar Thursday

Adult industry attorney Corey Silverstein will kick off a new quarterly live webinar series titled "Legal Impact: Industry Issues, Today & Tomorrow" on Thursday, 2 p.m. (PDT).

Texas Judges Claim Jurisdiction Over Facebook Lawsuit Challenging Section 230

Texas' Fourteenth Court of Appeals denied yesterday Facebook’s appeal to dismiss a lawsuit in which lawyers for anonymous plaintiffs argued the platform “facilitated the sex trafficking of minors” and is not protected from liability by Section 230.

Supreme Court Declines to Hear Section 230 Case Against Facebook

The Supreme Court declined today to settle a question presented by a Jane Doe looking to establish Facebook’s liability in a case where she alleges that she was “sex trafficked as a minor” because the social media platform “connected her with a sex trafficker.”