Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeOther'sTechnologyEroding Section 230 Could Collapse How We Communicate on the Internet, Says...

Eroding Section 230 Could Collapse How We Communicate on the Internet, Says Twitter CEO

San Francisco: Before the US House board hearing on Tuesday, Twitter and Facebook CEOs gave arranged comments where Jack Dorsey took a hard stand opposing repeating the Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act while Mark Zuckerberg took a more appeasing tone.

Dorsey, who was set to show up before the Senate Commerce Committee alongside Zuckerberg and Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, said that eroding Section 230 could ‘collapse’ Internet communication.

He stated that eroding the foundation of Section 230 could collapse how we communicate on the Internet, leaving only a small number of well-funded and giant technology companies.

Dorsey included: “We must guarantee that all voices can be heard, and we resume to make improvements to our service so that everyone feels safe partaking in the public conversation – whether they are speaking or solely listening. The protections offered by Section 230 assist us to achieve this significant objective.”

The consultation is planned to likewise cover the subjects of security and media domination.

In his readied comments, Zuckerberg said that Section 230 made it possible for each significant Internet service to be constructed and guaranteed significant values like free expression and transparency were part of how platforms work.

He said, “Changing it is a significant decision. However, I believe Congress should update the law to make sure it’s working as intended.”

Zuckerberg further included, “We stand ready to work with Congress on what regulation could look like in these areas. By updating the rules for the Internet, we can preserve what’s best about it — the freedom for people to express themselves and for entrepreneurs to build new things — while also protecting society from broader harms.”

Pichai hadn’t, at this point, given any readied comments before the key hearing.

Leading Republican lawmaker and President Trump have required the provision to be changed or revoked in the midst of charges that social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have involved in censorship. Facebook, Twitter and Google have denied charges that their content moderation actions are biased against conservative perspectives.

Republican lawmakers have censured Facebook and Twitter lately over their handling of a New York Post report on emails acquired from a laptop that allegedly belongs to Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Both Facebook and Twitter found a way to restrict the spread of the report, prompting claims that social media platforms were participating in censorship.

 

source: with input from ians