Grindr Uses Section 230 to Dodge Suit Over Sexual Abuse of User

Grindr Inc. escaped a lawsuit alleging the LGBTQ+ dating app contained design defects that allowed an under-age user to meet adults who sexually assaulted him.

US District Judge Otis Wright on Thursday dismissed the suit brought by a Canadian who was 15-years-old when he started using the app, finding that the plaintiff ultimately sought to hold Grindr liable for the actions of its users, which is barred by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

“The facts of this case are indisputably alarming and tragic,” the judge said. “No one should endure what Plaintiff has.”

But Section 230’s expansive platform ...