Section 230, Communications Decency Act

Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act is the centerpiece American Internet law. It greatly limits the legal liabilities of those who facilitate and transmit others’ content electronically. For this reason, it has encouraged everyone to participate in the Internet, enabled that medium to grow, and thereby allowed its electronic content to dominate communications. But for the same reason, it has engendered criticism and concern, particularly because of the almost unlimited freedom it has given large technology companies to grow and dominate the Internet, largely based on customer content for which, under Section 230, they have no liability. This entry examines pre-Internet laws and several early legal cases that led to the development of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This entry further ...