(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
Voters Telecommunications Watch. The Justice Department has
appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.