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Articles on Communications Decency Act

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Democrats and Republicans in Congress have asked sharp questions of social media CEOs as lawmakers consider changes to landmark internet legislation. Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP

What is Section 230? An expert on internet law and regulation explains the legislation that paved the way for Facebook, Google and Twitter

A terse piece of legislation from 1996 has been credited with creating the internet as we know it – and blamed for the flood of misinformation and other ills that have come with it.
Donald Trump at a press conference to announce a class action lawsuit against Facebook, Twitter, Google and their CEOs. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump can’t beat Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in court – but the fight might be worth more than a win

Former President Trump is asking the courts to do what tycoon Trump once would have denounced: tell some of America’s most powerful corporations that they have no choice who they do business with.
Cutouts depicting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wearing ‘Fix Fakebook’ displayed on Capitol Hill on April 10, 2018. AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster

The law that made Facebook what it is today

The Communications Decency Act was passed in 1996, seven years before the debut of MySpace. It helped online publishing grow – and to escape consequences for the way users might be harmed.

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