A US District Judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Apple, stating that the company is not responsible for the alleged circulation of child sexual abuse material on iCloud. The judge ruled that it is up to lawmakers to protect children, rather than the court.

Background of the Case

The proposed class action was filed by two individuals, who claimed that Apple failed to stop or limit the spread of child sexual abuse materials. Apple fought back against the claims using Section 230, a law that holds online platforms can’t be held accountable for what their users post.

The judge sided with Apple’s defense, stating that there is no existing law that requires companies to proactively identify and report child sexual abuse materials. The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning that the plaintiffs cannot refile.

Reaction to the Ruling

The plaintiffs are reviewing the judge’s ruling and evaluating their options. Apple has made privacy and security for users a hallmark of its brand, but the company has faced criticism that it could be doing more to prevent bad actors from operating on its systems.

In 2021, Apple walked back a controversial plan to detect child sexual abuse material on iCloud, citing privacy concerns. The company has also faced lawsuits from other parties, including the West Virginia attorney general, who sued Apple in February over the alleged storage and distribution of child sexual abuse material on iCloud.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.