Texas highest court has ruled that Facebook can be held liable for sex trafficking carried out on its social media platforms, after several victims accused the company of knowingly benefiting from its online facilitation.

Fridays ruling by the states Supreme Court allows three civil lawsuits by trafficking victims to proceed against the social media giant, after the court determined that current laws do not permit Facebook, or any other website, to act as a lawless no-mans-land, the Houston Chronicle first reported .

The victims have accused Facebook of violating a state anti-trafficking law passed in 2009 Chapter 98 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code that makes a defendant who traffics a person, or who intentionally or knowingly benefits from the act, liable to the victim.