US Supreme Court to hear case that could decide future of internet

The US Supreme Court will consider a law that has protected big tech companies since 1996 from lawsuits over content posted on their platforms.

The law is Section 230, which gives internet firms legal immunity by considering them as intermediaries rather than publishers of user-generated content.

This is the first time the US Supreme Court is hearing a case related to the scope of Section 230.

The case is linked to the November 2015 Paris attacks, in which a 23-year-old student of California State University was killed.

The student's family has accused YouTube, owned by Google LLC, of recommending extremist group videos to users, thus supporting radicalization and violence.

The lawsuit has been filed under the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows Americans to recover damages related to "an act of international terrorism."

The family argues that the highly complex recommendation systems used by internet giants fall outside the scope of Section 230.