Gonzalez v. Google: Live updates on Supreme Court case that could transform inte...

The Supreme Court on Tuesday is hearing oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, a lawsuit that argues tech companies should be legally liable for harmful content their algorithms promote. The case could shift the foundations of internet law.

It stems from the killing of 23-year-old Nohemi Gonzalez, a college exchange student, by Islamic State gunmen in Paris in 2015. The Gonzalez family contends that by recommending Islamic State-related content, YouTube — which is owned by Google — acted as a recruiting platform for the group in violation of U.S. laws against aiding and abetting terrorists.

Here’s what to know

• Courts generally have found that Section 230 shields tech giants from culpability over the posts, photos and videos that people share on their services. But these wins have come despite objections from some prominent judges who say lower courts have read the law’s protections too broadly. Those pushing for a change warn that when Section 230 was written, the contours of today’s online marketplace of ideas were not yet clear.
• The Gonzalez lawsuit is one of several landmark tech cases pending before the Supreme Court, offering the justices an opportunity to definitively addresswhether and how internet regulation should be changed.
• Oral arguments began shortly after 10 a.m. Eastern time and will continue until about noon. Audio is being live-streamed on the court’s website, a practice that began when the court was holding arguments remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. The audio is embedded at the top of this live file, so you can listen in as you read analysis and context from Post reporters.