What are the laws regarding censorship on the internet?

In Washington, there are laws in place to regulate and limit censorship of digital content on the internet. To protect freedom of expression, Washington’s law follows federal laws, which ensure that content cannot be restricted solely because of its viewpoint or message. However, censorship is permissible if it is necessary to protect public safety and order, or to serve compelling state interests, such as protecting children from inappropriate material. Additionally, Washington’s law prohibits the censorship of internet content by schools, libraries, and public universities. These public institutions are expected to provide all students with access to a wide variety of views, opinions and resources. While school officials are allowed to place reasonable restrictions, they can only block access or remove certain materials if there is a legitimate educational reason for doing so. Furthermore, Washington law also forbids censorship of personal websites hosted in the state. Any attempt to restrict a website hosted in Washington must be done so in compliance with the First Amendment and established court precedent. Overall, the laws regarding censorship on the internet are designed to protect freedom of expression while still allowing for some limitations to be put in place in order to protect public safety. In Washington, businesses, public institutions, and personal websites all have certain rights and restrictions when it comes to their internet content.

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