The lawsuit claims YouTube algorithm recommendations are illegal.
The Supreme Court began to hear arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, a case that scrutinizes legal protections for internet companies.
The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for coordinated terrorist attacks on November 13, 2015, that killed 130 people in Paris, France. Nohemi Gonzalez was one of the 130 victims of that attack. Attorneys for the family of Nohemi Gonzalez claim that, according to the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act, Google should be held legally responsible for the YouTube algorithms that recommended videos created by the Islamic State militant group to future terrorists. They also argue that Google owed them damages for this “act of international terrorism.”
Lower courts dismissed this lawsuit because of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which protects companies from liability for the content posted by their users, not them. Since the Supreme Court accepted this case, there is a chance that the high court may rule in favor of the Gonzalez family instead of Google. If it does so, the legal shield for internet companies will be removed for content uploaded by users.
If that were to happen, said Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the digital economy could crash and “lawsuits will be nonstop.“
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the justices of the Supreme Court as they hear and deliberate the case on the internet legal shield.
- For wisdom for the justices to determine the most beneficial way to decide the matter.
- For the families of the victims of the attack in Paris.
Sources: Reuters, NPR
