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.
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