Technology & Privacy Timeline
Communications Decency Act § 230 (1996)
- Shields online platforms from liability for most user-generated content. - Encourages moderation of harmful content in “good faith.” - Foundation of internet free speech law, though highly controversial today. ---
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA, 1998)
- Restricts websites and online services from collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent. - Enforced by the FTC, still the main children’s privacy law in the U.S. ---
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, 1998)
- Implemented international copyright treaties and created rules for digital media. - Established notice-and-takedown system and “safe harbor” for platforms. - Prohibited circumvention of DRM, fueling right-to-repair debates. ---
Why It Matters Today
These laws: - Shape how platforms manage speech, content moderation, and liability. - Define the balance between privacy rights and commercial data use. - Continue to influence debates on misinformation, online harms, and free expression. ---
Official Sources
- [47 U.S.C. § 230 – CDA](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/230) - [15 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506 – COPPA](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title15/chapter91&edition=prelim) - [17 U.S.C. §§ 512, 1201 – DMCA](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title17&edition=preli