Justices ‘Confused’ by Lawyer’s Argument on Online Legal Shield

US Supreme Court justices across the political spectrum — from Samuel Alito to Ketanji Brown Jackson — uttered the words “I’m confused” during the early part of arguments over upending the internet’s foundational law.

The justices are “not the nine greatest experts on the internet,” said Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday during oral arguments in Gonzalez v. Google, a case that centers on whether YouTube should be held liable for the videos that its algorithms recommend to users.

Kagan’s remarks, which were met with laughter, came as she expressed skepticism about the arguments from Eric Schnapper, the lawyer representing the ...