Judge Noël Wise in San Jose dismissed a class-action lawsuit accusing Apple of failing to stop child sexual abuse material on iCloud. The ruling determined Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields Apple from liability for user-posted content.
The lawsuit represented 2,680 plaintiffs. They sought $32.8 billion in damages and demanded systemic changes to iCloud.
Judge Wise ruled that federal law does not require Apple to proactively develop technology to identify and report such material. The court dismissed the case with prejudice, preventing it from being refiled. Plaintiffs' attorneys are currently considering an appeal.