he Texas Supreme Court has ruled against Facebook as the social media giant tries to use a controversial federal law to dodge liability for its platform being used by human traffickers to recruit victims.
社交媒体巨头 Facebook 试图利用一项有争议的联邦法律来逃避人口贩子利用其平台招募受害者的法律责任，德克萨斯州最高法院作出了不利于 Facebook 的裁决。
The ruling allows three survivors of human trafficking who want to sue Facebook to move forward with their cases,according to Forbes.
据《福布斯》报道，这项裁决使得三名人口贩卖的幸存者可以起诉 Facebook，继续他们的案件。
Facebook had argued it was not responsible for what its users say under Section 230 of the federal Communications Decency Act.
声称根据美国联邦最高通信规范法案第230条款，Facebook 对其用户的言论不负任何责任。
Section 230 has become a controversial piece of law,with critics saying it gives social media companies too much power.
第230条款已经成为一个有争议的法律条款，批评者认为它赋予了社交媒体公司太多的权力。
Forbes reported that in 2018,Congress carved out exceptions to Section 230 so that lawsuits could be brought against companies that violate human trafficking laws.
据《福布斯》报道，2018年，美国国会通过了第230条例的例外条款，这样就可以对违反人口贩卖法律的公司提起诉讼。
In his opinion,Justice Jimmy Blacklock noted those limits.
在他看来，吉米·布莱克洛克法官注意到了这些限制。
"We do not understand section 230 to'create a lawless no-man's-land on the Internet'in which states are powerless to impose liability on websites that knowingly or intentionally participate in the evil of online human trafficking,"he wrote.
他写道:"我们不理解第230条'在互联网上创造一个无法无天的无人区'，在这个无法无天的区域中，各国无力对明知或故意参与网络人口贩卖的网站强加责任。"。
"Holding internet platforms accountable for the words or actions of their users is one thing.…Holding internet platforms accountable for their own misdeeds is quite another thing.This is particularly the case for human trafficking."
"让互联网平台对用户的言行负责是一回事。让互联网平台为自己的不当行为负责是另一回事。对于人口贩卖来说尤其如此。"
"Section 230,as amended,does not withdraw from the states the authority to protect their citizens from internet companies whose own actions—as opposed to those of their users—amount to knowing or intentional participation in human trafficking,"the ruling said.
"修订后的第230条款并没有从各州撤销保护公民免受互联网公司侵害的权力，这些公司的行为----与其用户的行为相反----相当于知道或故意参与人口贩卖。"。
The case involved three women who,according to the ruling,"allege they were victims of sex trafficking who became entangled with their abusers through Facebook."
该案涉及三名女性，根据裁决，她们"声称自己是性交易的受害者，并通过 Facebook 与施虐者发生纠葛。"
One was 15 years old when she was befriended by a Facebook user who told her he would help her pursue a modeling career.
其中一个15岁的时候，一个 Facebook 用户和她成为朋友，并告诉她他会帮助她追求模特生涯。
"Shortly after meeting him,Plaintiff was photographed and her pictures posted to the website Backpage(which has since been shut down due to its role in human trafficking),advertising her for prostitution.As a result,Plaintiff was'raped,beaten,and forced into further sex trafficking,'"the ruling said.
"在与原告见面后不久，原告就被拍了照，并将她的照片上传到了网站 Backpage 上(由于在《人口贩卖扮演的角色而被关闭)，为她的卖淫广告做广告。结果，原告被"强奸、殴打，并被迫进行进一步的性交易"。
Another of the women was 14 when she was recruited by human traffickers through Instagram,which is owned by Facebook.
另一名女子14岁时，通过 Facebook 旗下的 Instagram 被人贩子招募。
"Her traffickers used Instagram to advertise Plaintiff as a prostitute.…As a result,Plaintiff was raped numerous times.Following Plaintiff's rescue from the trafficking scheme,traffickers continued to use her profile to attempt to entrap other minors in the same manner.
"她的人贩子在 Instagram 上宣传原告是一名妓女。结果原告被强奸了无数次。在原告从贩运计划中获救之后，贩运者继续利用她的身份企图以同样的方式诱骗其他未成年人。
"Plaintiff's mother reported these activities to Facebook,which never responded,"the ruling continued.
"原告的母亲向 Facebook 举报了这些活动，但 Facebook 从未回应,"裁决继续。
The third woman was 14 when she began corresponding with a man on Instagram who"convinced Plaintiff to sneak away from her home and meet him."
第三名女子14岁时开始与 Instagram 上的一名男子通信，这名男子"说服原告偷偷溜出家门与他见面"
"Upon meeting her,he took her to a motel,photographed her,and posted the pictures to Backpage.Plaintiff was then raped repeatedly by men who responded to her traffickers'posting on the site,"the ruling said.
"一见到她，他就把她带到了一家汽车旅馆，给她拍了照，然后把照片发到了 Backpage。原告随后多次被男子强奸，这些男子回应了她在网站上的人贩子帖子。"。
The women's petitions state that Facebook"knowingly aided,facilitated and assisted sex traffickers"and"'knowingly benefitted'from rendering such assistance,"according to the ruling.
根据这项裁决，这些女性的请愿书指出，Facebook"明知故犯地帮助、协助和协助了性贩子"，并"明知故犯地从提供此类协助中获益"。
The decision could have an impact beyond these three cases.
这个决定的影响可能超越这三个案例。
"This puts pressure on the tech[companies]to reform,"attorney Carrie Goldberg said,according to Forbes.
据《福布斯》报道，律师凯莉·戈德堡说:"这给科技公司带来了改革的压力。"。
Facebook could appeal to the U.S.Supreme Court,but that would only invite further scrutiny of the legal shield provided by Section 230,said Jeff Kosseff,a cybersecurity law professor at the United States Naval Academy.
美国海军学院的网络安全法教授 Jeff Kosseff 说，Facebook 可以向美国最高法院提出上诉，但这只会引发对230条款提供的法律保护的进一步审查。
"If you open it up,they could narrow the whole scope of Section 230,"he said.
"如果你打开它，他们可以缩小230条款的整个范围,"他说。
Facebook is reviewing the ruling and"considering potential next steps,"a spokesman said.
一位发言人表示，Facebook 正在审查这一裁决，并"考虑可能的下一步行动"。
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
本文最初发表于《西方杂志》。
来源：
https://thefederalistpapers.org/us/facebook-loses-teen-sex-trafficking-case-legal-defeat-puts-social-media-platforms-crosshairs
