Ninth Circuit Easily Rejects (Most of) a “Predator Access” Lawsuit on Section 230 Grounds–Doe (KB) v. Facebook

· Blog Ericgoldman · Nov. 9, 2026, 10:50 p.m.
Summary
The Ninth Circuit Court ruled against a lawsuit claiming Instagram facilitates sex trafficking, reinforcing Section 230 immunity for website operators. The court rejected various legal arguments aimed at circumventing this immunity, emphasizing that social media companies are not liable for user-generated content unless they fail to provide adequate reporting mechanisms. This ruling indicates a consistent trend where the Ninth Circuit maintains strong protections for online platforms against similar lawsuits.