Google (GOOGL) Sues LATAM Airlines Over Free Speech in U.S. Court

On Thursday, tech giant Google (GOOGL) filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court against Chile-based LATAM Airlines (LTM) in order to block Brazilian courts from forcing it to take down a YouTube video in the U.S. The video, which was posted by Florida resident Raymond Moreira, accuses a LATAM employee of sexually abusing his 6-year-old son during an unaccompanied minor flight. Google argues that LATAM is trying to get around U.S. free speech protections by suing in Brazil to force the video’s global removal.

In its lawsuit, filed in San Jose, California, Google said it supports the idea that courts should only control content in their own country, not worldwide. LATAM, which sued Google in Brazil back in 2018 to remove the video, told Reuters that it had not yet received official notice about Google’s new U.S. case. Nevertheless, a Brazilian appeals court is set to decide next week whether it can order the video to be taken down globally. This situation is similar to a recent U.S. ruling where platforms like Trump Media (DJT) and Rumble (RUM) were not forced to follow a Brazilian order to remove U.S.-based accounts.

Interestingly, it is worth noting that the video is tied to a larger legal battle. Indeed, Moreira had already sued LATAM in Florida in 2020 over the alleged abuse and reached a confidential settlement. Now, Google is pushing back against LATAM’s attempt to take down the video worldwide by saying that this would violate U.S. constitutional protections. Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda emphasized that courts should not control what content is available in other countries.

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