section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230; commonly known as the ‘ Communications Decency Act of 1996 ’) was never intended to provide legal protection to websites …

Section 230 protections are not limitless and require providers to remove material that violates federal criminal law, intellectual property law, or human trafficking law.

What is Section 230 and why does it matter? Here's everything to know about the little-known internet law and how it impacts free speech.

Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934, enacted as part of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, provides limited federal immunity to providers and users of interactive computer services.

May 29, 2020 · Section 230 is a part of federal legislation passed more than 20 years ago. It runs only 26-words long—short and to the point. But it has had an outsize affect on life as we know it.

Feb 18, 2026 · Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act protects social media platforms and other sites from legal liability that could result from content posted by users because they are not …

Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material. The Congress finds the following: (1) The rapidly developing array of Internet and other interactive computer services available to …

Mar 18, 2026 · Congress included Section 230 to ensure online platforms would not be liable for the illegal speech of another person. It did so to preserve a competitive free market, and the text of …

Feb 9, 2026 · Congress passed Section 230 in 1996 to give online platforms the freedom to moderate content in ways that best serve their users. Part of the story behind this section of law became a …

Mar 27, 2025 · Section 230, also known as the twenty-six words that made the internet, is a small section of the Communications Decency Act that protects social media platforms from legal liability …