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First Public "Bulletin Board System" Goes Online
"Bulletin board systems," or BBSes, allowed users to connect via telephone lines to both upload and download files, post "bulletins," and utilize email and other messaging systems. The first public BBS was created by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess. These systems were a precursor to the creation of the World Wide Web. (Source, Source) -
CompuServe as an Online Service Provider
Finding success throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, CompuServe was another forerunner of both the World Wide Web and social media; it provided chat systems, forums, software, and games. CompuServe also introduced the GIF format of images, a format whose pronunciation (hard G versus soft G) is still hotly contested on the Internet today. (Source, Source) -
Congress Passes the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986
Just as there are restrictions on government wiretapping of telephone lines, Congress created the ECPA to include regulations on the wire tapping of " transmissions of electronic data by computer." (Source) -
Introduction of the World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is introduced by CERN, a physics laboratory based in Geneva. This development enabled the use of browsers, through which users could "surf" through texts and images on the Web. (Source) -
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Congress Passes the Communications Decency Act of 1996
In 1995, the U.S. Congress created the Communications Decency Act in an attempt to regulate pornography on the Internet. This act "criminalized the transmission of materials that were 'obscene or indecent' to persons known to be under 18." In 1997 the segments of the act regarding "indecent" speech were overturned. Perhaps the most important section of the act is Section 230, which prevents websites from being held responsible for what users post. (Source) -
FTC Protects Rights of Children Under 13
Enacted in 1998 and effective as of April 21, 2001, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act was created to regulate the collection of information from online users under the age of 13. It provides guidelines for privacy policies and how to gain parental permission for young users, as well as "what responsibilities an operator has to protect children's privacy and safety online." (Source) -
LinkedIn Launches
Social networking site LinkedIn was launched in 2003. LinkedIn is primarily used for career networking and job hunting. As of 2017, the site had more than 500 million members in 200 countries. Their IPO began in May of 2011. (Source) -
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Facebook Launches
Social media giant Facebook launched in 2004. Originally designed for the use of Harvard students only, Facebook opened its access to the Internet at large in 2006. Praised for its versatility, Facebook allows users to upload text posts, images, and videos to their personal profiles, and it allows users to share other users' content. Users can play games with friends or join common interest groups. The site has 2.2 billion monthly active users. (Source) -
YouTube Launches
Video-sharing site YouTube launched in 2005. Users can upload their own videos as well as subscribe to other users' channels. As of February 2017, one billion hours of content were being watched on the site each day. (Source) -
Google Purchases YouTube
In November of 2006, YouTube was purchased by Google for $1.65 billion. (Source) -
Twitter Launches
Social media site Twitter launched in March of 2006. Twitter is perhaps best set apart from other social media sites by its character limit, which was originally 140 characters per tweet but was increased to 280 as of November 7, 2017. Users can post their own tweets, as well as "retweet" the posts of others. As of 2017, the site had 328 million users worldwide. (Source) -
Launch of the Facebook Platform
In 2007, Facebook launched the Facebook Platform, an open API that allowed third parties to create applications (such as games and quizzes) within Facebook. Some consider this feature to be one of Facebook's key facets in remaining a serious contender in social media after so many years. (Source) -
Tumblr Launches
Social media site Tumblr launched in February of 2007. The website is a microblogging site that allows users to share text, images, GIFs, video, and more. As of 2018, over 417 million blogs were on the site. (Source) -
Pinterest Launches
Social media site Pinterest launched in March of 2010. Accessible both on computers and mobile devices, Pinterest allows users to save and share posts known as "pins" to various "boards." The app is popularly known for its collection of DIY projects and inspirations. Pinterest currently has 175 million active users. (Source) -
Instagram Launches
The social media platform Instagram launched in October of 2010. Initially only available on iOS, the app became available to Android users in April of 2012 and Windows Mobile users in April of 2016. Users can share photos and videos on personal profiles, and they can "follow" the profiles of other users. As of September of 2017, the app had over 800 million users. (Source) -
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Snapchat Launches
September of 2011 saw the launch of Snapchat, an exclusively mobile-based app that allows users to send limited time frame pictures and videos to one another. Users can also post images and videos to 24 hour "Stories" that can be viewed by their friends, and various brands and news outlets are connected to Snapchat's "Discover" page. As of February 2018, 187 million users access Snapchat each day. (Source) -
Twitch Launches
Twitch.tv, commonly known as Twitch, launched in June of 2011. Twitch allows users to live stream videos to an audience, and such "streams" are primarily focused around video games and eSports. As of 2018, Twitch has 15 million daily users. (Source) -
Facebook IPO
Facebook's initial public offering came in February of 2012. The company was valued at $104 billion. (Source) -
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States Protect Privacy of Employee Social Media Accounts
Beginning in 2012, state legislatures began creating laws that prevented employers from requiring that employees provide their social media account passwords in order to obtain or keep their job. Some states have also created similar laws that apply to institutions of higher education, and Wisconsin law applies to landlords, as well. (Source) -
Facebook Purchases Instagram
In 2012, Facebook purchased Instagram for $1 billion in cash and stock. However, Instagram was not incorporated into the Facebook model; although users can link their Facebook and Instagram profiles for easy sharing of posts between the two, Instagram is still operated as a separate platform. (Source) -
Twitter IPO
Twitter announced its IPO in September of 2013, and it began trading on the NYSE on November 7, 2013. (Source) -
FTC Protects Right to Post Bad Reviews
In 2016, the Federal Trade Commission created the Consumer Review Fairness Act, an act that protects a consumer's right to post a negative review of a product or service on websites such as Yelp. The law prevents businesses from including clauses in contracts that lead consumers to "waive their right to comment on the service they receive." (Source) -
Facebook Privacy Hearings
In April of 2018, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was questioned by members of Congress in relation to the discovery that Cambridge Analytica had used the data of 87 million Facebook users to profile them during the 2016 presidential campaign. Concerns surrounding fake news, foreign interference in the election process, and censorship were also discussed. (Source)
