I currently host a website where users pay a monthly or yearly fee for exclusive access to a private forum.
There are users in this forum who post links to what may be considered illegal downloads.
Question: Can the webmaster be held accountable for the actions of registered users.
I am not selling these files or links. The users pay for access to a private forum, that is what is advertised.
Nor do I host any content on the website. All links, illegal or not, that are posted by users point to a third-party file hosting company and are not contained on my site.
I have done a bit of research and what frequently keeps coming up is a relevant portion of S.230
"No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." 47 U.S.C. §230(c)(1).
Another point that I frequently hear is that if you do not moderate or edit the forum, you claim no responsibility. As soon as you start editing content you are treated as something like a magazine editor, and may be held responsible to forum content.
If you have encountered this before or know any relevant information on this topic please post.
Thank you.
There are users in this forum who post links to what may be considered illegal downloads.
Question: Can the webmaster be held accountable for the actions of registered users.
I am not selling these files or links. The users pay for access to a private forum, that is what is advertised.
Nor do I host any content on the website. All links, illegal or not, that are posted by users point to a third-party file hosting company and are not contained on my site.
I have done a bit of research and what frequently keeps coming up is a relevant portion of S.230
"No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." 47 U.S.C. §230(c)(1).
Another point that I frequently hear is that if you do not moderate or edit the forum, you claim no responsibility. As soon as you start editing content you are treated as something like a magazine editor, and may be held responsible to forum content.
If you have encountered this before or know any relevant information on this topic please post.
Thank you.