CDA 230: A Boon to Reputation Marketing

The Communications Decency Act (CDA) is considered by many as a milestone in freedom of speech on the Internet. Signed into law in 1996, the CDA was initially designed to regulate, if not restrict, pornography. However, this isn't what the CDA is known for; what got attention was  a small section of the Act called Section 230 (CDA 230).


To put it bluntly, CDA 230 provided the grounds for reputation management since it tackled the issue of defamation on the Internet. Under this provision, websites and ISPs won't be liable for any defamatory statements made by their users. In other words, a person can't blame Facebook if it allowed a user to post hate speech.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) explained what the Internet would be without CDA 230. Website owners would have to invest in lawyers to moderate content before posting, and limit innovation due to legal obstacles. Instead, those responsible for the defamatory comments can be sued. Don't overhaul the engine when the problem is just a worn-out spark plug.

Using this privilege of rational exchange of ideas, businesses can counter defamatory reviews with useful content. Businesses stand to lose millions due to defamatory attacks that cuts off their steady stream of customers. However, that reputation can be redeemed with constructive reviews that could serve to counteract the negatives. Today, there's no excuse not to preserve one’s reputation on the Internet, especially with "hate users" on the prowl.

  

0 comments:

Post a Comment