Section 230

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Congress enacted the Communications Decency Act in 1996.

• U.S. Supreme Court declared many portions of this Act unconstitutional because they infringed on free speech rights
• but Section 230 of the Act is still in effect

Overview

Section 230 protects interactive computer service providers from liability for the actions of content providers.

• interactive computer service is any electronic information service or system
  • specifically includes a service or system that provides access to the internet
• act states that an interactive computer service provider may not be treated as the “publisher” or “speaker” of content posted by service users