Google and Facebook Inc are among companies opposing a Senate bill aimed at squelching online trafficking of children, a stance that makes the Silicon Valley giants uneasy allies of a website accused of providing an advertising platform for teen prostitution.
The companies and tech trade groups say online providers will face greater liability for speech and videos posted by users if US lawmakers move against Backpage.com and its online classified ads. Bill supporters disagree, saying the measure creates a narrow exception to deter lawbreakers and won’t harm the Internet.