Barnes v. Yahoo!, Inc.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
570 F.3d 1096 (2009)
Cecilia Barnes's ex-boyfriend posted fake profiles of her on Yahoo! featuring nude photos and her contact information; after Barnes repeatedly asked Yahoo! (defendant) to remove the content, Yahoo!'s director of communications personally told her he would take care of it, but months passed with no action. Barnes (plaintiff) sued for negligent provision of services and promissory estoppel; the district court dismissed both claims, finding the Communications Decency Act's § 230 immunized Yahoo! entirely.
Whether internet service providers, website hosts, and other online intermediaries are generally immune from liability for republishing defamatory statements made by third parties.