Trumpy looking to rescind CDA 230 by executive order https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/09/tech/white-house-social-media-executive-order-fcc-ftc/index.html Washington(CNN Business)A draft executive order from the White House could put the Federal Communications Commission in charge of shaping how Facebook (FB), Twitter(TWTR) and other large tech companies curate what appears on their websites, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. The draft order, a summary of which was obtained by CNN, calls for the FCC to develop new regulations clarifying how and when the law protects social media websites when they decide to remove or suppress content on their platforms. Although still in its early stages and subject to change, the Trump administration's draft order also calls for the Federal Trade Commission to take those new policies into account when it investigates or files lawsuits against misbehaving companies. Politico first reported the existence of the draft. https://gizmodo.com/section-230-is-the-foundation-of-the-internet-so-why-d-1833590565
I'm confused by the thread title. From the CNN article, it appears that Trump wants to remove political censorship from platforms like Facebook & Twitter. How would the removal of censorship be considered censorship?
it's a ruse. By removing the liability protections, all tech companies would be held liable for slander/libel from their user's contributions, giving cons (and potentially liberal) politicunts ways to curb speech they deemed unacceptable. Current protections allow companies the freedom to remove content deemed unacceptable. The Trump administration's proposal seeks to significantly narrow the protections afforded to companies under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a part of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Under the current law, internet companies are not liable for most of the content that their users or other third parties post on their platforms. Tech platforms also qualify for broad legal immunity when they take down objectionable content, at least when they are acting "in good faith."
I guess we'll have to wait until the details come out before we'll know for sure, but I doubt that Trump is trying to hold these companies liable for content posted by their users. That would be virtually impossible. He's believed for a long time that these platforms actively suppress conservative speech. I bet that this EO would be centered around making sure that doesn't happen.
Whether they do suppress or not is irrelevant, first amendment prohibitions apply to Trump, not to Twitter or Facebook...
Isn't it relevant if they claim publicly to be politically unbiased? I mean in basic theory, a website should be allowed to be as liberal or conservative as they want. But a website should be held to a different standard if they claim to be unbiased.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/truth-advertising When consumers see or hear an advertisement, whether it’s on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, federal law says that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence. I'm no legal expert, but If these platforms actively suppress political views after advertising themselves as being politically unbiased, I would assume they've broken truth in advertising laws.
social media companies don't really sell you anything though. You're the product, and you're sold to the ad companies. How can you sue for a free service that is being denied to you? Makes no sense.