In the wake of another online squabble between President Donald Trump and Twitter, the Department of Justice urged legislators to reform laws that protect the world’s biggest social media companies from litigation or prosecution.
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 essentially provides Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other well-entrenched social media mainstays with a liability shield. Thanks to that Section’s tenets, the platforms enjoy protections from accusations of slander, libel, censorship and other potential legal threats.
It's widely suggested that an ongoing political spat between Twitter and President Donald Trump led ... [+]
The Justice Department yesterday called on Congress to enact new legislation to end or reform Section 230, opening the door on sanctioning or prosecuting the major social media platforms for allowing content deemed harmful. The platforms would resist that proposal in an effort to retain their full freedom to operate.
Any reforms would pave the way for punishments and prosecutorial action on the social media mammoths if they don’t act to remove any post deemed illegal, illicit or dangerous. The Justice Department also called for more transparency over the possible political biases and potential censorship practices of Twitter, Facebook and other services.
It’s widely suggested this sudden Justice Department push against Section 230 was caused by a late May clash between the White House and Silicon Valley. Following the George Floyd death at the hands of police and subsequent protests, Trump and Twitter went back and forth with accusations and counteraccusations, criticisms and threats.
If legislators make changes to Section 230, the major social media platforms could lose legal ... [+]
Twitter flagged Trump’s comments on the civil rights protests in Minnesota – urging CNN and The Washington Post to fact check the presidential tweets. That partnership between Twitter and the two major media sources led to Trump calling for the revoking of Section 230.
The ongoing controversy between the Oval Office and the social media heavy hitters created a push by smaller, independent apps and services to garner more attention. The app Parler began a #Twexit campaign to urge users away from Twitter. Meanwhile, the app MeWe offered a Bill of Rights to defend against what it sees as Facebook’s violations of privacy.
