Lack of liability of internet intermediaries equals more business opportunities (at the expense of …)
On Friday, a federal judge in Washington State imposed a preliminary injunction blocking the implementation of a new law that aimed to impose stronger ID requirements for online sex ads, as a way to combat child prostitution. The law cannot be enforced until the court hears the case further.
Among other arguments, both Backpage and the EFF argued that the state law conflicts primarily with Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
“No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider,” it states.
In his order, Judge Ricardo Martinez wrote that the state law was in conflict with this federal law, and that the federal law takes precedence.
More:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/washington-state-online-sex-ad-law-stopped-in-its-tracks/
