A bipartisan group of lawmakers is stepping up efforts to have U.S. trade officials eliminate a legal liability shield that tech companies are pushing to keep in new agreements, including a deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement awaiting approval by Congress.
Online platforms such as Google and Facebook Inc. prize the provision of U.S. law, and their trade groups are also pushing for the extension of similar protections internationally that would unify policy among countries in trade deals such as the pact to replace NAFTA and a proposal for a deal with Japan.Michael Beckerman, president of the Internet Assn. trade group, which counts Google and Facebook as members, called the inclusion of the provisions in U.S.
“It is a uniquely American law, and we’re in the midst of a discussion about it, and this is a gift to Big Tech to insert it into trade agreements,” Schakowsky said.The debate comes as world leaders look to increase the companies’ responsibility for problematic content such as terrorist propaganda. If countries that don’t currently have similar liability exemptions adopt them through trade agreements, then tech companies would have more protection from lawsuits over content.
A message was left with the U.S. trade representative seeking a response to lawmaker complaints about including language similar to Section 230 in the trade agreements and Lighthizer declining to appear before the committee or consult the panel. Katherine Oyama, Google’s global head of intellectual property policy, and Reddit Chief Executive Steve Huffman said that any significant changes to their liability protection would hurt their ability to curb harmful content on the internet and hamper the growth of new companies. Reddit is a news and discussion board whose majority shareholder is Advance Publications Inc.
this is way overdue. while you are at it, remove the shield for gun manufacturers too.
How's Reddit a tech company?
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