The front page of a newspaper contains the title, all publication information, an index and the day’s major stories. These are usually bold-faced and are the day’s major news story of national importance. It is important that these stories are on the front-page in order to capture attention and generate publicity.
In 2014, three anonymous Jane Does who were sex trafficked as minors sued Backpage for facilitating sex trafficking, accusing the site of allowing and encouraging users to post ads regarding prostitution and human trafficking involving minors, and of knowingly failing to edit or censor such content. The federal court ruled that Backpage was performing traditional publisher functions in regards to third-party content, and thus shielded from liability by CDA Section 230.
In 2013, New Jersey enacted a law attempting to legislate Backpage out of existence, claiming that it “knowingly publishes and distributes advertisements that promote, facilitate, or encourage sexual activity involving minors.” A federal judge enjoined the law, finding that it was preempted by CDA Section 230, and also that it chills protected speech.
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