Section 230 Helps Search Engine Defeat “Right to Be Forgotten” Lawsuit–Mosha v. Yandex
Looking holistically at the broad arc of Internet Law history, I could make a good case that the EU’s Right to Be Forgotten marked the beginning of the end of the modern Internet. It was the first time that a…
Section 230 Applies to Facebook’s Post Removals and Account Suspensions–King v. Facebook
The court summarizes the facts: King alleges Facebook removed multiple posts by him, and temporarily suspended his Facebook access on several occasions in 2018, for posts that Facebook deemed a violation of its terms of service (“ToS”). The crux of…
Section 230 Protects HOA for Publishing Meeting Minutes–Eagle Ridge Townhouse Ass’n v. Snapp
The dispute involves Galena Territory, a community governed by a property owner’s association (GTA) with several subdivisions also managed by HOAs. Homeowners in those subdivisions are members of both their subdivision HOA and the GTA. One of the subdivision HOAs…
The Circuitous International Travel of Your Data (Guest Blog Post)
by guest blogger Marketa Trimble Most Internet users probably do not know where their online data (aka “cloud data”) reside. Even fewer users likely have any idea of the paths over which their data travel. It is not difficult to picture…
A Significant Section 230 Defense Win in the Ninth Circuit–Dyroff v. Ultimate Software
This is an important Section 230 ruling from the Ninth Circuit. First, it decisively rejects several of the flavor-of-the-month theories plaintiffs have advanced to eviscerate Section 230. Second, the opinion resolves those theories efficiently and with little wasted motion. That…
Another Politician Unconstitutionally Censored Constituents on Twitter–Campbell v. Reisch
This case involves yet another politician, Missouri Representative Cheri Toalson Reisch (who formerly tweeted @CheriMO44 but the account is currently gone), who blocked constituents on Twitter. I previously blogged this case in February, when the court rejected Rep. Reisch’s motion…
Comments on Rep. Gosar’s “Stop the Censorship Act,” Another “Conservative” Attack on Section 230
At this point, many “conservatives” favor government regulation of the editorial practices of Internet companies. As a result, proposals coming from DC “conservatives” that reference “censorship” in their titles almost certainly are designed to embrace, not prevent, censorship. For example,…
Some Much-Needed Pushback on the Anti-Section 230 Craziness (Linkwrap)
The criticisms of Section 230 are a sign we’re living in Crazytown. The lies and misdirection about Section 230–coming both from cranks/trolls as well as our government leaders (please, no jokes about how those are the same thing)–are out of…
Second Circuit Issues Powerful Section 230 Win to Facebook in “Material Support for Terrorists” Case–Force v. Facebook
In a 101 page set of opinions, the Second Circuit ruled emphatically for Facebook in one of the multitudinous lawsuits alleging that it provided material support to terrorists (in this case, Hamas). The majority relied exclusively on Section 230, in…
Russia Fucked With American Democracy, But It Can’t Fuck With Section 230–Federal Agency of News v. Facebook
The plaintiff FAN allegedly is part of a Russian government agency, Internet Research Agency, that undermined the integrity of our 2016 presidential elections. In other words, FAN apparently was a Russian troll operation. As part of its post-2016 election cleanup,…