Section 230: The Internet’s wobbly cornerstone explained


This illustration picture shows social media applications logos from Linkedin, YouTube, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter displayed on a smartphone in Arlington, Virginia. The legal immunity Section 230 provides tech companies has been attacked by US President Donald Trump – especially after Twitter labeled two of his posts this week as misleading – along with other politicians from the political left and right. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Some call it the foundation of the open Internet and online free speech. Others say it allows big platforms to avoid responsibility for harmful content they host.

Section 230 – which the White House is seeking to curtail as part of its war with Silicon Valley – was included in the 1996 Communications Decency Act to protect online service providers from lawsuits based on user-generated content.

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