In an article addressing the landmark Supreme Court cases of Gonzalez v. Google LLC and Twitter, Inc. v. Taamneh, Jackson Walker partner Bob Latham, as Chair of the Board of ARTICLE 19, discussed the case of Gonzalez v. Google and the future of Section 230.

In the article, Bob noted:

“Section 230 helped shape much of the global internet we know today: a space where people can organize, share and access information and hold power to account. Preserving its protections is about far more than the interests of Google, Twitter, and other platforms; it is about protecting freedom of expression for all of us. 

“If Section 230 is limited, platforms will be faced with the prospect of thousands of lawsuits if they fail to remove the content that might be labelled as ‘terrorist’, not just in the United States, but anywhere in the world. Companies will do everything in their power to avoid liability. They will likely do so through monitoring everything users post on their platforms and using algorithms to censor content en masse. We know those tools are not capable of understanding nuance or context – especially in languages other than English.”

For more information, view ARTICLE 19’s “USA: Supreme Court decision will have global impact on free speech online.”

Meet Bob

Robert P. Latham has developed nationally recognized experience in the areas of media law and intellectual property litigation and leads the Media practice at Jackson Walker. As well as a trial lawyer, Bob is a published author, columnist, and a much sought-after speaker on matters related to the right of free speech, technology and IP litigation, litigation strategy, dispute resolution, and sports. In recognition of his practice, Bob has been listed among The Best Lawyers in America under Commercial Litigation, Litigation – First Amendment, and Litigation – Intellectual Property, among other categories.

Outside of his practice, Bob has served as an International Board member and trustee of ARTICLE 19 since 2018. He is also a Governing Committee member of the ABA Forum on Communications Law and the former president of the Media Law Resource Center Defense Counsel Section. In addition, Bob serves on the World Rugby Executive Committee, chairs the World Rugby Regulations Committee, and is a 2017 inductee into the Texas Rugby Union Hall of Fame.