X Faces Legal Battle Over Handling of Child Exploitation Content
X, formerly known as Twitter, is still entangled in a major lawsuit concerning its handling of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on its platform. A recent ruling by a U.S. Court of Appeals judge has revived claims that the company failed to act promptly in removing such content and lacked an effective reporting system for these violations.
The case, originally filed in 2021, involves two underage boys who allege that X delayed removing explicit content that a trafficker had coerced them into producing. The lawsuit claims the platform made it excessively difficult to report child exploitation material, leaving harmful content accessible for days before action was taken.
Earlier, a three-judge panel had dismissed the case, citing Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content. However, the latest decision by Judge Danielle Forrest partially overturns that ruling, stating that X must still defend itself against negligence claims. The judge agreed that Section 230 protects X from some liability but argued that the company could still be held accountable for failing to maintain a functional reporting system.
According to the lawsuit, a 13-year-old boy and his mother attempted to report the illegal content through Twitter’s reporting tools but received only an automated response. The platform initially claimed no policy violations were found, only removing the posts nine days later. X eventually suspended the offending account and reported the material to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as required by law.
This case could have far-reaching implications for social media platforms, potentially influencing how they handle CSAM and user reporting systems. If the lawsuit progresses, it may even reach the Supreme Court, setting a precedent for platform accountability. For now, X must return to district court to address the revived negligence claims.
The outcome could reshape how tech companies manage harmful content, particularly as legal and regulatory scrutiny over online safety intensifies.
