In the wake of Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase, the internet has been abuzz with discussions of online free speech and the role of platforms and governments in monitoring misinformation. There’s been a spike in Google searches and Wikipedia page views for “Section 230,” the 26-word law that shields social media from liability over content posted by its users. The provision, which has been nicknamed the Internet’s Magna Carta, predates social networking as we know it (it’s even older than Google!). Section 230 was enacted as part of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, the social media era of GeoCities.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) introduced a new bill called the 21st Century FREE Speech Act on Thursday to repeal Section 230 and replace it with something that classifies online communication platforms as “common carriers” and would ensure “reasonable, non-discriminatory access.” Hers is just the latest in a long string of legislation meant to curb the protections offered by Section 230 — and hers is nowhere near the best reason for it.
