Tenth anniversary of First Amendment protection for the net

Cindy Cohn, legal director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, sez, "Tuesday (June 26) is the 10 Anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in ACLU v. Reno, the landmark case that established that speech online is protected under the First Amendment. The outcome seems obvious now, but it wasn't at the time. We're doing a little celebrating over at EFF, and thinking about how that victory paved the way for today's free speech battles."

EFF’s work over the past ten years demonstrates that while the technology might evolve, threats to online expression persist and core First Amendment principles must be vigilantly defended. The CDA was a crystal clear case of unconstitutional government censorship, and the challenges today are sometimes more complex. EFF's efforts today include:

* Intermediaries: EFF fights to protect Internet middlemen -- like hosting services, search engines, and ISPs -- from overreaching liability, so that creators of amazing free speech tools don't have to worry about being held responsible for everything that Internet users say.

* "Fair Use": EFF defends “fair use” of copyrighted material, including its ongoing campaign to counter bogus copyright takedowns on YouTube and elsewhere;

* Bloggers' Rights: EFF promotes bloggers’ rights through litigation and distribution of a comprehensive legal guide.

* Anonymous speech: EFF supports online anonymity, primarily through representation of defendants in "John Doe" lawsuits filed by large corporations and thin-skinned public officials who want to intimidate their anonymous critics.

* "Right to Know": EFF uses the Freedom of Information Act to promote the public’s "right to know" and facilitate informed and open debate on technology and civil liberties issues.

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