FILE PHOTO: A keyboard is placed in front of a displayed Snapchat logo in this illustration taken February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoWASHINGTON :The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Tuesday to hear a Texas teen's bid to revive his lawsuit accusing Snapchat owner Snap of failing to protect underage users of its social media platform from sexual predators - in this case, a female teacher who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting him.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit accused Guess-Mazock of using Snapchat - known for its disappearing photos and videos - to groom him by sending him sexually explicit content. Over nearly a year and a half starting in 2021, Guess-Mazock sexually assaulted him until the abuse was discovered when he overdosed on drugs she either provided or paid for, the lawsuit alleged.
Houston-based U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal in 2022 dismissed the suit against Snapchat, finding the company was shielded by Section 230. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2023 affirmed Rosenthal's ruling, prompting the plaintiff's appeal to the Supreme Court. Thomas criticized the court's decision to deny the appeal in a dissenting opinion that was joined by Gorsuch, arguing that social media platforms increasingly use Section 230 as a"get-out-of-jail free card."