Facebook could be held liable for sex trafficking on its platform, court rulesThe Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that Facebook can be held liable if sex traffickers use the platform to prey on children.
The state court ruled that Facebook is not a "lawless no-man’s-land" and could be held accountable following three Texas-based lawsuits that involved teenage sex traffic victims, the Houston Chronicle first reported.
The victims were reportedly preyed on through the social media platform’s messaging system – prompting prosecutors to claim the site was negligent in not better blocking sex trafficking opportunities.
Facebook contended that it is protected under Section 230 – an internet law that says online platforms are not responsible for third-party content posted on the service's site.
"Holding internet platforms accountable for words or actions of their users is one thing, and the federal precedent uniformly dictates that section 230 does not allow it," the court found, according to the Chronicle. "Holding internet platforms accountable for their own misdeeds is quite another thing. This is particularly the case for human trafficking."
Fox Business could not immediately reach Facebook for comment......................
https://www.foxbusiness.com/technology/facebook-could-be-held-liable-for-sex-trafficking-platform-court-rules
