Sen. Hawley’s Section 230 Legislation is Highly Regulatory and Should be Rejected

Washington, DC — U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) today introduced legislation that would end Section 230 protections for large technology and social media platforms.

CEI Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews said:

“Rather than force political neutrality, Congress has a duty to protect misinformation, disinformation, divisiveness, harmful content, thought crimes and dissident speech online. The First Amendment can provide protection to outrageous and troubling speech, but it is necessary to protect the fundamental freedoms we enjoy.

“The issue isn’t that Facebook or Google or any other platform should remain politically neutral, but that citizens are free to choose alternatives that remain free to emerge and grow with the same Section 230 exemptions from which modern web giants benefitted. Ironically, the Internet giants will also benefit from reporting requirements and income thresholds that prevent such emergent competition. Senator Hawley’s bill is highly regulatory and should be rejected.”

Read more:

• Murray: Big Tech vs. Free Speech? It’s Not that Simple