10 Questions
What does Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 protect websites from?
Being sued for user-generated content
What happened to Ken Zeran after a hoax ad was posted with his phone number on AOL?
He sued AOL
What was the outcome of the Zeran vs. AOL case?
AOL won the case
What did the ruling in the Zeran case enable?
The growth of social media and other websites that allow user-generated content
How many times has the Zeran case been cited in legal opinions?
350 times
What can tech companies do regarding the content posted on their platforms?
They can regulate it as they see fit
What does the current interpretation of Section 230 mean for social media companies?
They cannot be held legally responsible for any content posted by users
What is the current bipartisan energy in Congress regarding Section 230?
To rewrite it and make tech companies more accountable for illegal posts
What is Ken Zeran's stance on the current system regarding Section 230?
He opposes it
What is the current state of the system regarding Section 230?
It is not working well
Study Notes
- The 26 words in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 protect websites from being legally responsible for what their users post.
- Ken Zeran sued AOL after someone posted a hoax ad with his phone number on the platform, leading to harassment.
- Zeran lost the case, and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that websites cannot be sued for user-generated content.
- This ruling formed the legal foundation for the Internet we know today, enabling the growth of social media and other websites that allow user-generated content.
- The Zeran case has been cited in legal opinions 350 times.
- Tech companies can set their own rules about what can and cannot be posted on their platforms.
- The current interpretation of Section 230 means that social media companies cannot be held legally responsible for harmful or abusive content posted by users.
- There is bipartisan energy in Congress to rewrite Section 230 and make tech companies more accountable for illegal posts.
- Ken Zeran supports a fix to the current system, even though it is too late for him.
- The current system is not working well, and change is inevitable.
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