Source: http://ecommercelaw.typepad.com/ecommerce_law/2009/05/faq-what-is-section-230.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+E-commerceLaw+%28E-Commerce+Law%29
Timestamp: 2018-10-19 19:38:05
Document Index: 463459466

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 230', '§ 230', '§ 230', '§ 230', '§ 230', '§ 230']

E-Commerce Law: FAQ: What is Section 230?
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Congress's Intent in Passing the Communications Decency Act
In passing the Communications Decency Act, Congress noted the policy of the United States
(5) to ensure vigorous enforcement of Federal criminal laws to deter and punish trafficking in obscenity, stalking, and harassment by means of computer."
47 U.S.C. § 230(b).
In particular, Section 230 of the Act was enacted to ensure that providers and users of "interactive computer services" would not be exposed to liability as "publishers" of any information provided by another "information content provider." H.R. Rep. No. 105-775 § I(E).
The Limited Immunity Provided by Section 230
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides that "[n]o provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)(1). The Act defines "interactive computer service" (ICS) as "any information service, system, or access software provider that provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a computer server, including specifically a service or system that provides access to the Internet and such systems operated or services offered by libraries or educational institutions." 47 U.S.C. § 230(f)(2). "Information content provider" (ICP) is defined as "any person or entity that is responsible, in whole or in part, for the creation or development of information provided through the Internet or any other" ICS. 47 U.S.C. § 230(f)(3).
Exceptions to Section 230 Immunity
Section 230 immunity is not without exception. In particular, the statute states that it "shall not be construed to impair the enforcement" of any Federal criminal statute or "to limit or expand any law pertaining to intellectual property." 47 U.S.C. § 230(e)(1) & (2). Moreover, Section 230 does not impair the enforcement of any consistent State law and does not "limit the application of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 or any of the amendments made by such Act, or any similar State law." 47 U.S.C. § 230(e)(3) & (4).
Jonathan D. Frieden and Sean Patrick Roche, E-Commerce: Legal Issues of the Online Retailer in Virginia, 13 RICH. J.L. & TECH. 5 (2006), https://law.richmond.edu/jolt/v13i2/article5.pdf.
Posted by Jonathan Frieden at 11:00 AM in Section 230 | Permalink