Author: Robert Lopez
John Doe sued SexSearch.com, an online adult dating service, alleging fourteen violations of Ohio law. Each count attempted to hold SexSearch.com liable for Doe’s illicit relationship with a minor who misrepresented her age in violation of SexSearch.com’s terms of use. The Sixth Circuit upheld the ruling of the Northern District of Ohio, but refused to adopt its reading of the Communications Decency Act (CDA). 47 U.S.C § 230(f)(2). The court stated that the district court “read § 230 more broadly that any previous Court of Appeals decision” and that such a reading could “potentially abrogat[e] all state or common-law causes of action brought against interactive Internet services.” Instead, the Sixth Circuit invalidated all fourteen claims holding that each one failed to state a valid claim under Ohio law.
Published in Tuesday, February 24, 2009, Volume 6, No. 3