4 ms·
Section 230 is the bill that makes it so you can't sue Internet services for defamation that their users do. The reason why it exists is because the Wolf of Wal
by kmeisthax 3y ago
Section 230 is the bill that makes it so you can't sue Internet services for defamation that their users do. The reason why it exists is because the Wolf of Wall Street tried to censor people pointing out that he was selling garbage. He sued Compuserve and Prodigy[0] for hosting the forums that people were posting the speech he didn't like on. Now, under existing case law, you can't sue a newsstand for having defamatory news on it, you have to sue the newspaper. The courts decided that Compuserve was not liable for defamation, but Prodigy was, purely on the basis that Prodigy had moderation while Compuserve did not. Compuserve is a newsstand, Prodigy is a newspaper. This is stupid, so Section 230 overturns this specific case by saying that moderation does not make you liable for defamation.
[0] Neither of these services are technically "Internet" in the sense of forwarding IP packets, but they are morally "Internet" because they are public forums.
- dragonwriter 3y ago> Section 230 is the bill that makes it so you can't sue Internet services Section 230 refers to “The Internet and other interactive computer services” in its findings and policy sections, and it applies its operatige provisions to “interactive computer services” broadly, not internet services narrowly. > Neither of these services are technically "Internet" in the sense of forwarding IP packets But they are interactice computer services.