Communications Decency Act 1996, 47 U.S.C. § 230(c)

Document type
Legislation
Country
Communications Decency Act Section 230 (CDA 230) provides broad immunity for intermediaries. It provides that no 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, and that intermediaries shall not be liable on account of efforts to monitor or enforce policies against inappropriate or unlawful user-generated content. It immunizes platforms for nearly all claims except for those under federal criminal law and intellectual property law. This 1996 law, long a pillar of US Internet legal practice, was amended for the first time since its enactment in 2018. The new law, FOSTA, expands intermediary liability for claims involving sex trafficking and prostitution. 
 
CDA 230 cases arise too frequently to be captured well in the WILMap. One of the best online resources to learn about evolving CDA 230 case law is Santa Clara Law Professor Eric Goldman's Technology and Marketing Blog.
Country
Year
1996
Topic, claim, or defense
General or Non-Specified
Document type
Legislation
Issuing entity
Legislative Branch
Type of service provider
General or Non-Specified
Type of law
Civil
General effect on immunity
Strengthens Immunity
General intermediary liability model
Complete Immunity