Waxman went before the U.S. Supreme Court last week to praise the Communications Decency Act, not to bury it.

CNN: Free Speech On The Net At The Supreme Court

Congress passed the Communications Decency Act of 1996, but that basically immunizes these Web sites from lies that are posted by their users.

NPR: Slate's Jurisprudence: The Laws of Internet Dating

Congress added a splash of impunity to the mix in 1996, when it passed a pro-Internet law known as the Communications Decency Act.

FORBES: On The Cover/Top Stories

The prime target of the protest is the Communications Decency Act , the part of the telecom bill that would outlaw the transmission of sexually explicit materials to minors.

CNN: Debate rages over bill to restrict 'Net smut

Bankston, a free-speech advocate for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, cites a provision in the Communications Decency Act stating that communication services aren't responsible for the speech that they enable.

FORBES: The Streisand Effect

Mentioned above, the Communications Decency Act is legislation that Congress passed to protect the free flow of information online by stating that websites could not be sued for carrying defamatory material.

FORBES: The frustrating quest for protection from anonymous Web surfers

The Supreme Court took a similarly stern view of Congress' ham-handed effort to curb smut on the Net, now used by 210 million people in the U.S. The court in 1997 ruled 9--0 to strike down the Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In response to the early court decisions, to avoid the chilling effect of potential liability in a medium of prolific speech, and to encourage the active monitoring, editing and removal of unlawful content online without the disincentive of having such actions lead to claims of liability for being a publisher, Congress enacted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

FORBES: What Is The CDA And How Can It Help You And Your Company Avoid Liability?