NY Court Avoids ‘Can of Worms’ With Algorithm Liability Decision

Social media companies scored a win last week when a New York appellate court declined to limit liability protections afforded to internet companies, while plaintiffs’ lawyers lost out on a potential bonanza of cases.

The 3-2 court avoided opening a “can of worms” when on July 25 it dismissed internet giants Meta, Google, and Reddit from a lawsuit claiming they’re liable for a 2022 mass shooting in Buffalo, NY, said Thomas Kurland, a partner at Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP who focuses on product liability.

A decision in the other direction—ruling that algorithms are products under the state’s product ...