Court Upholds Dismissal of Case Against Snap Inc. in Teacher-Student Abuse Scandal

In a significant legal decision filed on December 18, 2023, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit against Snap Incorporated. The plaintiff, John Doe, a victim of sexual abuse by a high school teacher, sought to hold Snap liable for the teacher’s use of Snapchat in the abuse. The court’s decision, guided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, reinforces the broad legal immunity of social media companies in such cases. A detailed dissent highlighted the controversial nature of this immunity.