By treating ISPs as carriers, Section 230 effectively removed any incentive and responsibility for ISPs to discourage libel-ous content. The anonymous nature of the Internet now gives innocent parties little recourse when their reputations are destroyed by anonymous defamation. On the other side, users post millions of messages daily on the Internet. These numbers make it virtually impossible for any ISP to police every message that is posted. There are also constitutional issues involved if an ISP is forced to act as a censor. The issue of Internet service providers and defamation needs further clarification from congress. The Supreme Court may ultimately have to address the question. It is a controversial issue that will not soon be resolved.
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