The internet is often the source of unforeseen outcomes and effects, and this is a perfect example. This article discusses how Craigslist was sued for allowing users to post discriminatory housing adds. I never even thought about this possibility. (I guess this is the SF bubble that I live in). But even more interesting, is the effect of the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA) as compared to the numerous Federal Fair Housing statutes and regulations.
The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sued San Francisco-based Craigslist in February, claiming that during a six-month period, the site published more than 100 housing ads in Chicago that violated the federal Fair Housing Act.
Those ads included such declarations as “Non-women of Color NEED NOT APPLY” and “African Americans and Arabians tend to clash with me so that won’t work out.”
The 1968 Fair Housing Act bars housing discrimination, and newspapers and other publishers of ads deemed discriminatory can be held liable for violating the law.
But the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA), in an attempt to promote unfettered free expression online, shields web forums from liability for ads and opinions posted by their users.
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