WASHINGTON, DC (May 3, 2023) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation Law Center, The Haba Law Firm, and The Matiasic Firm responded to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in John Doe #1 and John Doe #2 v. Twitter, Inc.
This lawsuit alleges that Twitter, by its own written admission, knowingly possessed and broadly distributed child sex abuse material (or child pornography). As a result, child sex abuse material of two 13-year-old boys was viewed, shared, and downloaded hundreds of thousands of times through the Twitter platform.
Twitter has never challenged these facts. Instead, from the beginning of this case Twitter has argued that it is 100% immune from civil liability because of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. But Congress never intended to give technology companies immunity for knowing violations of the laws protecting victims of child pornography and sex trafficking.
Today’s decision is now the first from a federal appellate court to rule that Section 230 gives civil immunity to technology companies for CSAM. The decision is a setback, but not a final outcome. We will continue to pursue justice for our clients who have been harmed by Twitter’s irresponsible conduct. We look forward to the next steps in this important litigation as we continue to seek to provide our clients their day in court.
More information can be found at: https://endsexualexploitation.org/twitter/.
About The Haba Law Firm, P.A.
The Haba Law Firm is a law firm in Greater Orlando area of Florida, that provides excellence in civil litigation on behalf of human trafficking and sexual abuse survivors. Haba Law prides itself on its aggressive and effective representation, honesty, and trauma-informed, victim centered advocacy. The unparalleled knowledge and experience with human trafficking and sexual abuse has resulted in partner Lisa Haba receiving numerous awards and recognitions for her work with survivors of human trafficking and sexual abuse.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
