Communications Decency Act

legal (CDA) An amendment to the U.S. 1996 Telecommunications

Bill that went into effect on 08 February 1996, outraging

thousands of Internet users who turned their web pages

black in protest. The law, originally proposed by Senator

James Exon to protect children from obscenity on the Internet,

ended up making it punishable by fines of up to $250,000 to

post indecent language on the Internet anywhere that a minor

could read it.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation created public domain

blue ribbon icons that many web authors downloaded and

displayed on their web pages.

On 12 June 1996, a three-judge panel in Philadelphia ruled the

CDA unconstitutional and issued an injunction against the

United States Justice Department forbidding them to enforce

the "indecency" provisions of the law. Internet users

celebrated by displaying an animated "Free Speech" fireworks

icon to their web pages, courtesy of the VotersTelecommunications Watch. The Justice Department has

appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

(1996-11-03)