How Rotten.com Fought for Free Speech – Tales From the Internet
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Rotten dot com was the most famous shock site of the early Internet. Although it is most remembered for the horrific images people saw and the occasional twisted humor, the site was actually founded the protest the Communications Decency Act, one of the first attempts by the US government to censor Internet content. Although the act was eventually found to be unconstitutional, rotten remained online for over 20 years.
Throughout that time, they were involved in a great deal of controversies, trolling campaigns and hoaxes. This is a look at some of the highlights of the site’s history.
💸 Patreon Shout Outs:
👼Fae Rie
🐩Murfy Murf
🎤Let’s Have a Discussion
🍁Jason Verhoek
🐶Keely Lemonnier
🚘Volaju
🐻Jayden Wybenga
🐦Darren Blacklock
🐻Scott Barrie
🐹Porg Thigh Meat
⚽Ryan
🌯Jackburrito
🏠Joseph House
🐼Shannon Gerbes
🦔Michelle
✂️Dan Kutz
👓Zachary Murphy
🐕Adrian Gorman
🦁Oshey
🕸Kevin Tavares
#internet #freespeech #censorship
@JustinWhangYt
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Safety Not Guaranteed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj9acDtMooA
Ebaumsworld vs YTMND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNQK_oaCauE&t=1s
@RandallMockoski-b4d
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
I don't know why they gave this website a hard time? It just goes to show you what death is. We all have to die someday.
@AUndeadCat
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
With the other two laws being thrown out, it gives me hope that the Kids Protection Act will also flop
@KevinTinklin
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
its funny to think the new online safety act is the 2025 version of this because content has to be filtered for the children …. funny how old thing happen crop up from the past for modern day viewing on the internet , maybe could do a revisit of this video and make parrarells based on the online safety act of now to the one back then and how quickly it got passed in to LAW
@jaclyndevincentis8969
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
That website is so nostalgic for me, it sparked my love for anatomy and medicine as well as gore obviously. Very special place in my heart for it
@novamarpo3
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Wow, your voice sounds different here!
@wakarenokyoku
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
1:24 earthbound..?
@Sadbetty-k3s
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
75000 visitors was so big then
@HorrorHabit-h7x
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Poor Burlington Coat Factory.
@ReddFoxx1562
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
has WWhanhang ever mentioned Gore gallery??
@pagesams4718
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
7:37 why did you pick the one that had Cincinnati on it? I'm in Cincinnati lol
@lizardskynard4726
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
coming back to this after the online safety act shit thats been going on…
@samicable6801
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Soylent, we need you more than ever.
@bleeding.stardust
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
It’s kinda sad how we’re STILL fighting for free speech online especially in Australia and the UK with the new ‘KOSA’ act
@unnamedchannel1237
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Rotten was a crazy site
@FallenOfSolaCida
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
We're adults, I fully understand protecting the youth but be good parents instead of policing adults.
@oldgeneration7023
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
This will never be forgotten. I remember myself some pictures on that website with a taliban soldier having a cut-off head in his hand from soneone who just had been executed.
@stevezissou6655
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
this website had a profound effect on me as a 13 year old, not a good one but profound
@reeseangle9621
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
This website was terrible
@lakesheppard6129
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
My dad introduced this site to me when I was like 6-7
@joemoody2626
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Clicking on trenchcoat mafia and the coat factory coming up , and the coat factory getting mad is a straight up south park episode
@EchoPhoxx
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Thanks to Rotten for providing the backing visuals for my industrial band in the 2000s!
Back in ye olde days of the early 90s, we used VCRs and video mixers to get our disturbing visuals. I think we had Faces of Death and a 6 hour loop of the Budd Dwyer su*cide video.
@araineacutebrownnurse7315
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
I remember The Black Dahlia
@johncaze757
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
I wonder if there's ever any well known NSFW artists and content creators visted the site before it got shutdown?
@eddiemudie952
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
Free speech?
What's that?
Is that when you can say [YouTube has decided this comment does not meet content guidelines as it contains wrongthink and has been blocked without the user's knowledge]
@Heliosphan15
April 23, 2026 at 4:53 am
How do you have screenshots of the trench coat website? Not on the internet archive.