CCIA Cautions Against Holding ISPs Liable for Users' Acts

File Under: News, 2007, Telecommunications

Jul 5, 2007

CCIA joined with other tech industry voices today in submitting a "friend-of-the-court" amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, explaining the economic disaster which could befall the online economy if ISPs and telecommunication intermediaries were held responsible for each byte which crossed their networks.  In the current case, a plaintiff seek to hold Yahoo responsible for alleged criminal acts committed by someone using a Yahoo service.  Explaining the importance of the 1996 Communications Act's Section 230 safe harbor for ISPs, the brief states that "Amici cannot emphasize enough the degree to which the protection afforded by Section 230 has played a critical role in the development of interactive services that empower users and encourage innovation and self-regulation."

Read the brief here.