February 8, 1996 was the day the "web went black" in protest against what?
A) Genocide
B) Apartheid
C) Online Censorship
D) Abortion Rights
Answer (2)
The "web went black" on February 8, 1996, as a protest against online censorship, particularly aimed at the Communications Decency Act. Various websites participated to raise awareness about the dangers of limiting freedom of speech on the internet. The correct answer is C) Online Censorship.
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On February 8, 1996, the 'web went black' in protest against online censorship, making option C) Online Censorship the correct choice.
This event was a coordinated protest against a piece of legislation known as the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which was part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The CDA aimed to regulate and restrict the content on the internet, specifically targeting what it deemed as 'indecent' content that might be accessible to minors.
The protest involved numerous websites and internet users who added black backgrounds or displayed messages warning about the implications of the CDA. The blackout was a symbolic act to raise awareness and rally against what they viewed as an infringement on free speech and expression online. Advocates feared that the CDA would lead to excessive censorship and limit the freedom that the internet was built upon.
The protest was significant because it marked one of the early instances of widespread online activism. Eventually, on June 26, 1997, the United States Supreme Court struck down the anti-indecency provisions of the CDA, citing that they violated the First Amendment's guarantee of freedom of speech. This event underscored the importance of protecting free speech in emerging digital spaces.
