Abraham Jewett  |  March 3, 2022

Category: Legal News

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Reddit logo on smartphone screen.
(Photo Credit: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock)

Reddit Child Pornography Class Action Lawsuit Overview: 

  • Who: A Class of Jane Does have appealed the dismissal of a class action lawsuit they filed against Reddit Inc. 
  • Why: Doe’s claim Reddit profited off of child pornography posted on its platform and that a judge made in mistake in tossing their complaint. 
  • Where: The complaint is currently in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

A proposed Class of Jane and John Doe’s has implored the Ninth Circuit to revive a class action lawsuit claiming Reddit profited off child pornography posted on its platform. 

Doe’s, which filed a notice of appeal in November, are arguing that a judge erred in previously tossing the complaint under the determination that Reddit was exempt under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA).

The CDA was put in place to generally protect websites from being brought to court over content posted by third parties. 

Doe’s argue, however, that the case fits into the “language of Section 1595 of the CDA, a provision of the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).”

“Plaintiffs’ amended complaint alleges in hundreds of detailed allegations that Reddit refuses to prevent, detect and remove known illegal content or ban repeat offenders who traffic in child pornography — all to Reddit’s profit,” states the appeal. 

Doe’s claim Reddit benefited from its participation in a venture which it either knew or should have known was involved in “illegal trafficking,” and that it is aware individuals looking for child porn seek out its platform.

“Reddit users, news media, and advocacy groups have repeatedly notified Reddit of specific examples of child pornography that are continuously posted and reposted on its site,” states the appeal. 

Doe’s Argue Reddit Slow To Remove Child Pornography Images

Doe’s claim further that Reddit was slow to take down images depicting child pornography and that the company did not enact a policy barring child porn on the platform until 2011, despite being founded in 2005.

While previously arguing against Reddits motion to dismiss, Doe’s claimed that, based on the text of the TVPRA, that they are allowed to seek damages even if Reddit is not found to be criminally liable for the content posted on its platform. 

The judge overseeing the case disagreed, however, instead siding with Reddit while deciding to dismiss the case without prejudice, Law360 reports. 

In related news, in January a school teacher in Florida was arrested and charged with child pornography crimes after hundreds of explicit images and videos were found on his cell phone.

Should Reddit be held accountable for the images posted on its platform by third parties? Let us know in the comments! 

The plaintiffs are represented by Krysta Kauble Pachman, Davida Brook and Halley Josephs of Susman Godfrey LLP.

The Reddit Child Pornography Class Action Lawsuit is Doe v. Reddit Inc., Case No. 21-56293, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.


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