The Telecommunications Act’s “Good Samaritan” Protection: Section 230
(1) Overview
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is regarded as “the most important law in tech” because it encourages investment and innovation on the Internet by providing legal certainty to services that they will not be held liable for the speech or actions of third parties. Section 230 makes possible the Internet as we know it today: social media, blogs, image sharing, forums and comment sections — any service that enables users to submit content. Literally every online platform that allows users to post information, share content, and comment relies on Section 230.
(2) Articles
- Matt Schruers — Why State Regulation of Online Services Threatens the Internet Economy 8/3/2017
- Matt Schruers — Content Providers vs. Content Hosts: Prosecuting Bad Actors Without the Backpage Bill 8/4/2017
- Matt Schruers — SESTA Hearing: Searching for Common Ground, Fixes to Unintended Consequences 9/19/2017
- Matt Schruers — House Hearing on Section 230: What’s the Problem with a Knowledge Standard? 10/4/2017
- Matt Schruers — Section 230 Criticism Explained 3/14/2019
- Ashkhen Kazaryan —Some conservatives need a First Amendment refresher 5/21/2019
- Bill Easley II — When ‘Fairness’ Becomes Censorship 5/24/2019
- Jeffrey Westling — Hawley’s Attack on Section 230 Hurts Conservatives 6/24/2019
- Jonathan Band — Trademark Decision Casts First Amendment Doubt on Hawley Bill 6/25/2019
- Daisy Soderberg-Rivkin — Holding the technology industry hostage 7/1/2019
- Charles Duan — Trump wants an unbiased social media platform; he should have the government make one 7/16/2019
- Sarah Jeong — Politicians Want to Change the Internet’s Most Important Law. They Should Read It First. 7/26/19
- Carl Szabo — Section 230 Is the Internet Law That Stops the Spread of Extremist and Hate Speech 8/27/2019
- Ali Sternburg — Why Do So Many Section 230 Stories Contain Corrections? 9/3/2019
- Matt Schruers — Debate Over Online Content Embodies “Moderator’s Dilemma” 9/4/2019
- Jonathan Band — Section 230 and the Future of the Open Internet 9/5/2019
- Ethan Wham — An Economic Case for Section 230 9/6/2019
- Kate Ruane and Jennifer Stisa Granick — Our Online Speech Rights Are Under Threat 10/15/2019
- Rob Winterton — Section 230 Should be in Our Trade Agreements. Here’s Why. 10/15/2019
- Matt Schruers — Myths and Facts about Section 230 10/16/2019
- Eric Goldman — The PLAN Act Proposes to Amend Section 230 to “Protect”…Landlords and Hotel Chains? 10/16/2019
(3) Other Resources
- CCIA Section 230 Video
- NetChoice’s Protect Online Voices Site
- Internet Association Survey: Best of The Internet
- Copia/NetChoice Study: Don’t Shoot The Message Board
- Vergecast interview with Nilay Patel and Berin Szoka: What’s wrong with Congress’ tech policy conversation?
- An Overview of the United States’ Section 230 Internet Immunity by Prof. Eric Goldman
- Why Section 230 Is Better Than the First Amendment by Prof. Eric Goldman
- The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet by Prof. Jeff Koseff
- Principles for Lawmakers Considering Changes to 230
- TechFreedom Bipartisan Letter of Support for Section 230
- TechPolicy Podcast: SESTA/FOSTA Hurts the Victims It Aims to Protect
- Testimony of Berin Szoka — Filtering Practices of Social Media Platforms: Hearing Before the House Committee on the Judiciary
- Tech Association Section 230 Letter
- TechFreedom Section 230 Memo to the House Energy and Commerce Committee
