The Supreme Court and the future of the internet

Why a case involving Section 230 could change everything

The Supreme Court.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

The Supreme Court is about to decide the future of the internet.

The court this week agreed to hear a case involving Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields internet providers from lawsuits over material posted online by users. The law "helped enable the rise of huge social networks like Facebook and Twitter," reports The New York Times, by ensuring they couldn't get sued every time a user posted something false or inflammatory.

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.