Section 230 Matters: A Techdirt Fundraiser To Celebrate 25 Years Of Section 230

from the come-join-us dept

Get your tickets for Section 230 Matters before February 23rd »

Twenty five years ago today, then President Bill Clinton signed the 1996 Telecommunications Act into law. There was a lot in it, including the Communications Decency Act. And, buried within the Communications Decency Act was a part that was originally the Internet Freedom and Family Empowerment Act, written by then Representatives Chris Cox and Ron Wyden, but which is now generally known as Section 230. The rest of the CDA was tossed out as unconstitutional in an important early judicial review of internet regulations, but Section 230 survived. That means we've now made it 25 years with Section 230, and its key "26 words" helping to protect and enable an open internet. For reasons that don't fully make sense, Section 230 is now under assault from both major political parties (though often for diametrically opposed reasons!).

However, while we still have it, we thought it would be nice to throw Section 230 (and the open internet) a 25th birthday party -- and to have both Senator Ron Wyden and Chris Cox come to talk about Section 230, its past and (hopefully) future. So on Tuesday, Feb. 23rd at 12:30pm PT / 3:30pm ET we're hosting Section 230 Matters, which is both a celebration of Section 230, and a fundraiser for Techdirt, so that we can continue to report on Section 230, free speech, the open internet, and more. While the event is, of course, virtual, we're using a wonderful platform called Remo that simulates the experience of actually attending an event. You get to sit at a "table" and talk with the other people at your table, and can move around and talk with and network with other attendees.

The event will consist of some open networking/conversation, some table discussions about 230, and the main presentation of me moderating the conversation with both Cox and Wyden. It should be a really fun time, a chance to celebrate the open internet, and a chance to help support Techdirt and allow us to keep doing what we do.

Get your tickets for Section 230 Matters before February 23rd »

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Filed Under: 230 matters, chris cox, ron wyden, section 230