Child Online Protection Act
Quick Summary
The Child Online Protection Act (COPA), signed into law in 1998, aimed to shield minors from objectionable online material by criminalizing the transmission of content deemed "harmful to minors". This act was part of broader legislative efforts, including the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), to regulate online content accessible to children.123
However, COPA faced significant legal challenges. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and other groups argued that COPA unconstitutionally infringed upon the free speech rights of adults. Previous attempts, like parts of the CDA, were struck down by the Supreme Court for being too broad and violating the First Amendment. While CIPA, enacted in 2000, was ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court, requiring filtering software in schools and libraries receiving federal funds, the legal battles over online content regulation and free speech continue to highlight the complexities of protecting children online.123
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