Category: section 230

Big Tech’s Big Moment Finally Arrives at Supreme Court

Commentary In what is shaping up to be an action packed term at the U.S. Supreme Court, the justices upped the ante Tuesday, Oct. 4, by granting review in another banner case: Gonzalez v. Google, Inc. The case centers on interpretation of a law that has plagued social media users, especially conservatives, for some time by…


EXCLUSIVE: Expect ‘More Censorship’ of Conservative Voices as Midterms Approach, Says Former Trump Counsel

Arizona’s front-running Republican gubernatorial candidate, Kari Lake, has found her recent interview with talk show host Jenna Ellis taken down by YouTube on the grounds that it contains “misinformation” about the 2020 election. “Content that advances the false claims that widespread fraud, errors, or glitches changed the outcome of the U.S. 2020 presidential election is…


Elon Musk Solves Twitter Problem the Old-Fashioned American Way

Commentary In recent days, two iconic American public figures, Elon Musk and Barack Obama—each in his own trademark fashion—struck a chord with wildly different audiences in the debate over freedom of speech and expression in this country. On April 25, Elon Musk reached an agreement with Twitter’s board of directors to acquire and take the…


Despite Elon Musk’s Twitter Bid, Laws Governing Big Tech Need Reform: Rachel Bovard

Section 230 is a part of the Communication Decency Act, which has shielded Big Tech from accountability and censorship. U.S. lawmakers have been debating reforms to laws that govern Big Tech to allow for more transparency and fairness. Despite Tesla founder Elon Musk’s attempts to buy Twitter and his pledge to honor the First Amendment, Rachel…


California Bill to Let Parents Sue Social Media Giants for Products ‘Addictive’ to Kids

A new bill introduced to California State Assembly would allow parents in the state to sue social media companies that “knew or should have known” that their products are addictive to children. The proposed legislation, formally titled Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act, was sponsored by Democrat Buffy Wicks and Republican Jordan Cunningham. It…


California Bill Would Let Parents Sue Social Media Giants for Products ‘Addictive’ to Kids

A proposal introduced in the California State Assembly would allow parents in the state to sue social media companies that “knew or should have known” that their products are addictive to children. The legislation, formally titled Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act, states that companies “intentionally invent, design, and deploy” features that are intended…


Blumenthal, Graham Reintroduce Bill to Strip Legal Protections From Tech Firms for Child Abuse Content

Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Tuesday reintroduced a bill that would strip online platforms of their legal protections under federal law if they host child sexual abuse content. The bill, called the Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies, or “EARN IT” Act, would overhaul the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which…


DOJ Intervenes to Defend Section 230 in Trump’s Facebook Lawsuit

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday intervened in former President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Facebook in order to defend the constitutionality of Section 230, a federal statute derided by both Trump and President Joe Biden. The plaintiffs in Trump’s lawsuit filed a constitutional question in July as to the legality of Section 230. The…


Kalev Leetaru: Update Section 230 to Legally Compel Big Tech Transparency

“How can you have a digital society where you don’t even know what the rules are?” In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kalev Leetaru, a media fellow at the RealClearFoundation and senior fellow at the George Washington University Center for Cyber and Homeland Security. Instead of repealing Section 230, he argues for an…


Slain Reporter’s Father Takes on Facebook Over Violent Video

WASHINGTON—The family of a slain journalist is asking the Federal Trade Commission to take action against Facebook for failing to remove online footage of her shooting death. Andy Parker said Tuesday the company is violating its own terms of service in hosting videos on Facebook and its sibling service Instagram that glorify violence. His daughter,…