Lawmakers from opposites sides of the aisle are looking to sunset Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, because it has"outlived its usefulness." House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers and ranking member Frank Pallone, Jr. havelegislation introducing their proposed bill, which is seeking to render the provision ineffective after December 31, 2025.
They added that the lawmakers who previously tried to address issues with Section 230 didn't succeed because tech companies refused any meaningful cooperation. Their bill would compel tech companies to work with government officials for 18 months to conjure and enact a new legal framework to replace the current version of Section 230. The new law will still allow for free speech and innovation, but it will also encourage the companies"to be good stewards of their platforms.
Section 230 shields online publishers from liability when it comes to content posted by their users. Companies like Meta and Google have repeatedly used it in the pastin recent years. Last year, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill that would amend the section to require big platforms" which seeks to hold companies like OpenAI liable for harmful content, such as deepfake images or audio created to ruin somebody's reputation.
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