Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/16pdf/15-1194_08l1.pdf
Page Number: 21.0

8 

PACKINGHAM v. NORTH CAROLINA 

ALITO, J., concurring in judgment 

mercial social networking website.  The website (1) derives
revenue  from  ads  and  (2)  facilitates  social  introductions
for  the  purpose  of  information  exchanges.  Users  of  the 
site  can  comment  on  articles,  reply  to  other  users’  com-
ments,  and  recommend  another  user’s  comment.10    Users  
can also (3) create personal profiles that include a name or 
nickname  and  a  photograph.    The  photograph  and  name 
will then appear next to every comment the user leaves on 
an article.  Finally (4), the back-and-forth comment section 
is  a  mechanism  for  users  to  communicate  among  them-
selves.  The site thus falls within §14–202.5 and is accord-
ingly  off  limits  for  registered  sex  offenders  in  North 
Carolina. 

Or  consider  WebMD—a  website  that  contains  health-
related resources, from tools that help users find a doctor 
to  information  on  preventative  care  and  the  symptoms
associated  with  particular  medical  problems.    WebMD, 
too, allows children on the site.11  And it exhibits the four 
hallmarks of a “commercial social networking” website.  It 
  It  facilitates 
obtains  revenue  from  advertisements.12
information  exchanges—via  message  boards  that  allow 
users  to  engage  in  public  discussion  of  an  assortment  of 
health  issues.13   It  allows  users  to  create  basic  profile 

—————— 

washingtonpost.com/terms-of-service/2011/11/18/gIQAldiYiN_story.html?
utm_term=.9be5851f95. 

10 See  Washington  Post,  Ad  choices  (Nov.  21,  2011),  https://www.
washingtonpost.com/how-can-i-opt-out-of-online-advertising-cookies/2011/ 
11/18/gIQABECbiN_story.html?utm_term=3da1f56d67e7;  Washington
Post,  Privacy  Policy  (May  2,  2017),  https://www.washingtonpost.com/
privacy-policy / 2011 / 11 / 18 / gIQASIiaiN _ story.html ? utm_term = 
.8252a76f8df2. 

11 See WebMD, Terms and Conditions of Use (Nov. 2, 2016), https://www. 

webmd.com/about-webmd-policies/about-terms-and-conditions-of-use. 

12 WebMD, Advertising Policy (June 9, 2016), http://www.webmd.com/

about-webmd-policies/about-advertising-policy. 

13 WebMD,  Message  Board  Overview  (Sept.  22,  2016),  http://www.

webmd.com/about-webmd-policies/about-community-overview.