In a significant legal development, an appeals court has revived a lawsuit against Yolo, an anonymous messaging app integrated with Snapchat. This decision, issued by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, challenges the app’s failure to uphold its promise to unmask bullies, a key part of its anti-bullying pledge. The court's ruling overturns a previous lower court decision that had dismissed the case.
The lawsuit stems from a tragic incident involving Carson Bride, a teenager who died by suicide in 2021 after receiving harassing messages through Yolo. Bride’s family alleged that Yolo, despite its assurances, did not act on their requests for help. They claimed the app had promised to identify and ban users who engaged in harassment but failed to do so. The company, with only a small staff, was accused of being unable to effectively monitor its large user base.
Initially, a lower court ruled that Yolo was protected under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields platforms from liability for user-generated content. However, the appeals court found that the lawsuit's focus was on Yolo's failure to meet its own promises rather than its role as a platform for user content. Judge Eugene Siler, Jr. noted that while Yolo’s policies involved content moderation, the core issue was the company’s alleged breach of its own user agreements.
The ruling also touches on broader discussions about Section 230 and its limitations. Previous cases have tested the boundaries of this law, but the Ninth Circuit's decision here specifically addresses the liability of platforms for failing to enforce their own terms of service. Despite this, the court emphasized that this decision does not extend the liability of internet companies beyond what was originally intended by Congress.
This case continues to evolve, and Yolo still has opportunities to defend itself. The ruling marks a notable moment in ongoing debates about the responsibilities of tech companies in managing user behavior and promises made in their terms of service.
