#TBT: Bill Clinton Ushers In The Internet

 

     Bill Clinton's presidency was unique for a reason that is rarely discussed: he was president from 1993 to 2001, bridging the 20th century into the 21st. More than just an eight-year span of meaningless dates, his time in the White House saw the first major legislation relating to and implementation of the internet, which, in today's society, is a world its own and a luxury few remember a time without.

     On October 21st, 1994, he launched Whitehouse.gov, the official presidential website, which has been updated regularly and served as a reliable source of news and policy information for the public relating to every subsequent president. 

     On February 8th, 1996, he signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which provided the first overhaul of telecommunications in 60 years, including internet for the first time. On June 30th, 2000, he signed the E-Signatures Bill, which allowed for the acceptance of electronic signatures in interstate commerce. These two laws opened up the global electronic commerce and telecommunications market as we know it.

     Several of Clinton's laws also related to keeping children safe online, as children were his priority during his presidency. On October 21st, 1998, he signed COPPA, which protected the online privacy of children. That year, he also created the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the first efforts at protecting kids from online sexual predators.