Washington Supreme Court rules Backpage.com can be sued

A divided Washington Supreme Court has ruled that the website Backpage.com can be sued in state court by three girls who claim it aided in their being “bought and sold” as prostitutes.

The decision may be the first in the country to hold the website accountable for its content.

The court ruled 6-3 that Backpage.com, which hosts personal advertisements, some for thinly disguised prostitution, cannot claim immunity under the federal Communications Decency Act of 1996, which shields Web providers from liability for hosting content developed by others. Backpage.com had sought to dismiss the suit, but the motion was denied by a lower court and the company appealed.