Zeran v. AOL

Zeran v. AOL is a 1997 court case where the Supreme Court ruled that online platforms like AOL are generally not liable for defamatory content posted by users. In this case, Kenneth Zeran sued AOL after offensive messages about him appeared online. The Court decided that, under the Communications Decency Act, internet service providers are protected from liability for user-generated content, provided they do not directly create or edit that content. This case established the legal principle that online platforms have immunities similar to publishers' protections, encouraging online speech while limiting platform liability.