A 2018 amendment to a key internet content law continues to roil federal appeals courts, as judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit heard a case Wednesday accusing Salesforce of violating sex trafficking statutes through its contract with the now-defunct classified ad site Backpage.
Multiple appellate courts are grappling with the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA), which carved out an exception to immunity under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by allowing civil claims against websites if the alleged underlying conduct violates the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, a federal anti-sex trafficking law. While some district courts have allowed cases to go forward in light of the FOSTA amendment, others have said Section 230 remains a shield for platforms.
