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Founded in 1920, the ACLU is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization with affiliates in all 50 states dedicated to defending and expanding the civil liberties of all Americans.

The following community forums were hosted by the ACLU of Ohio, and are offered here as a public service for those interested in learning more about individual rights. Programs feature community leaders, scholars, and activists sharing their expertise and unique perspectives in specific areas of civil liberties.

To watch our video podcasts, click here.

03.19.09 Not in Front of the Children: Civil Liberties and Internet Censorship

Imagine not being able to read the latest on Salon.com, express yourself on websites like UrbanDictionary.com, or get information on sexual health.

In 2000, the ACLU challenged the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), a piece of legislation making it illegal to distribute content on the Internet acknowledged as protected speech for adults but deemed “harmful to minors” (including the above stated web content.) If implemented, it would have imposed harsh criminal sanctions, like huge fines and prison time.

In January 2009, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will not hear the government’s appeal of COPA, officially ending the ten year legal battle.

Chris Hansen, senior national staff counsel at the ACLU, shares his experience challenging COPA and other internet censorship efforts. The event was held at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

An audio podcast of the event is not available. However, you can watch the video from CWRU School of Law here.

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