Snapchat Photos Don’t Constitute “Virtual” Physical Presence–People v. White
The defendant was a high school teacher and coach. She sent photos to one of her students, WB, via Snapchat. The court says WB and the defendant never discussed the photos. The court describes the photos as “somewhat risqué” because…
New Article: “Content Moderation Remedies”
I’m excited to share my latest paper, called “Content Moderation Remedies.” I’ve been working on this project 2+ years, and this is the first time I’m sharing the draft publicly. I think many of you will find it interesting, so…
Roundup of Some Influential 1990s Internet Law Articles
Section 230’s 25th anniversary sent me on a nostalgia kick, which prompted me to revisit some articles that influenced me when I first started thinking about Internet Law (I graduated grad school in 1994). Due to their age, many of…
Internet Law Year-in-Review for 2020
[I know 2020 feels like it was 100 years ago, but I’ve been busy in 2021 so far. I did year-end roundups of developments in Section 230 and emoji law.] My top Internet Law developments from 2020: 8. TSPA/TSF Launch….
How Section 230 Makes My Life Better (A Celebration of Its 25 Year Anniversary)
Section 230 turns 25 today. 🎂🎂🎂🎉🎉🎉 In this post, I’ll reminisce about Section 230’s enactment and celebrate some ways Section 230 makes my life better. [Note: tomorrow I’m on a panel about Section 230 with David Greene (EFF) and Cathy…
New Ebook on Zeran v. AOL, the Most Important Section 230 Case (Techdirt Cross-Post)
[Cross-posted from Techdirt] Section 230 has become a mainstream discussion topic, but unfortunately many discussants don’t actually understand it well (or at all). To address this knowledge gap, co-editors Profs. Eric Goldman (Santa Clara Law) and Jeff Kosseff (U.S. Naval…
How I’m Teaching My “Internet Law” Course Online
I first started teaching Internet Law (then called Cyberspace Law) in January 1996, and I’ve taught it a total of 23 times in person. This year, I am teaching the course completely online for the first time. I would so…
Comments on NTIA’s Petition to the FCC Seeking to Destroy Section 230
As requested by the Trump anti-Section 230 Executive Order from May, NTIA submitted a 57 page petition to the FCC asking the FCC to make rules interpreting Section 230. The FCC, in turn, has put the petition out for public…
A Pre-History of the Trust & Safety Professional Association (TSPA)
I am part of a team that announced today the launch of two organizations, the Trust & Safety Professional Association (TSPA) and the Trust & Safety Foundation Project (TSF). TSPA will support the global community of professionals who develop and…
New Paper Explains Why Technologists Should Rally Behind Section 230
At the request of James Grimmelmann, and with his editorial support, I wrote an essay for the Communications of the ACM called “Internet Immunity and the Freedom to Code.” The abstract: The Internet’s freedom to code is in jeopardy. In…