Two of the world’s busiest platforms are joining an extremely important case for everyone who uses the internet. Last Tuesday, the 21st, the US Supreme Court heard the defense of Google and YouTube. The companies are responding to a lawsuit alleging they promote lifethreatening content. Understand more about the case throughout the text.
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The lawsuit was filed by the family of Nohemi Gonzalez23 year old student.
In 2015, she was the victim of a terrorist attack by the ISIS group, in which several people were shot dead in a restaurant in the city of Paris. Nohemi’s family members claim that the video sharing site recruited members online by recommending Islamic Staterelated videos.
They also point out that YouTube has done little to address the situation.
What the Defense of Google and the Gonzalez Family Say
Google relied on the 1996 Section 230 clause for defense, which claims it absolves the company of “legal responsibility for content recommended by algorithms.” The clause was created along with the first Internet companies to emerge in the United States. This can ensure that tech companies continue to recommend important content to their consumers.
The prosecutors point out that the law cannot be applied in this case because it uses algorithms to suggest content that people might be interested in. Defenders for the Gonzalez family still argue that the clause encourages sharing harmful contentin addition to preventing victims from seeking damages in court.
Lawyer Nitsana DarshanLeitner, who represents the family, says the clause in question gave the companies confidence that they would never be penalized for anything.
The case may have implications for the internet
The use of content recommendation algorithms is now part of several social networks, such as: B. Spotify, Netflix and Facebook. In a post published on a social network, Google’s General Counsel wrote that if Section 230 didn’t exist, websites would have to block all content that could pose a legal risk.
This would cause several services to go out of business and also generate less engagement online.
Google’s general counsel says reviewing the case could allow for numerous cases to be opened judicial action against technology companies. Other internet giants like Meta and Twitter decided to create reports detailing how companies would be affected by the clause’s changes.
All of this is happening amid a growing concern about the laws that govern the Internet. Today’s popular companies like TikTok may not be ready to go through these potential changes.