The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case that has the potential to have a huge impact on social media. The family of an American student killed in France in a 2015 terrorist attack is suing Google for recommending videos that promoted extremist Islamic ideology on its YouTube platform. They argue that Google has some responsibility for the death of their daughter. The decision will impact how liable social media platforms are for content recommended on their site.

Those who argue that social media companies should be immune from lawsuits over content recommended on their sites contend that to do so would open the platforms up to a near constant stream of lawsuits from people blaming them for crimes and behaviors of all sorts from users. They may argue that if companies are held responsible, they may begin to heavily censor content in order to protect themselves from lawsuits.

Those who argue that social media companies should not be immune from lawsuits over content recommended on their sites claim that to do so will encourage platforms to monitor their sites more closely. They may argue that platforms can develop systems that will carefully monitor the content it recommends. This side also argues that platforms should be liable for violence caused as a result of their algorithms.

So, what do you think? Should Social Media Companies Be Immune From Lawsuits Over Content Recommended on Their Sites? Students can answer Yes, they should; No, they should not; or a nuanced answer in between! Be sure to submit your answers by March 15th to have your answer considered for this week’s contest.

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Note: Ideal Think the Vote responses include the following:      

• Address the question asked in a thoughtful and meaningful manner     
• Use cited facts and constitutional arguments when appropriate to support their answers      
• Are expressed in cohesive sentences and are free of distracting spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors      
• They address counterarguments and opposing concerns in a respectful manner      
• They organize their answer in a manner that flows logically and reads clearly   

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JOIN THE DEBATE BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $1,000 CASH SCHOLARSHIP! 

For this question, BRI will be giving away two $25 gift cards, one to each person providing the best defense of each side of the debate. Both students will also win BRI swag. Each student winner will also be entered for a chance to win a grand prize of a $1,000 cash scholarship. Additionally, the referring teachers for both students will each win a $25 gift card and BRI swag. 

This question will run from 3/2/23 to 3/15/23, so be sure to submit your answers in time to be considered for our prizes! 

(For rules/regulations click HERE)