Originally Published at Courthouse News
By Nicholas Iovino
In a 56-page ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero rejected that argument. He found the complaint adequately alleged the sexually explicit tweets were monetized to generate ad revenue for Twitter. Spero said he found that allegation plausible given that the tweets were reportedly viewed and shared thousands of times.
Reacting to Spero’s ruling in a statement Thursday, plaintiffs’ attorney Peter Gentala called it a landmark decision.
“This historic ruling is the first breakthrough for an online trafficking survivor in any court where Twitter has alleged CDA immunity,” said Gentala, who serves as senior legal counsel for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
Gentala also called the ruling a step toward justice for his clients, whom he said were harmed by Twitter’s decision to let child sexual abuse material spread on its platform.
“No tech company should be allowed to profit from and outright ignore child sexual abuse material,” Gentala said.
