By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 12-11-19
Attorney General William Barr signaled this week that the Justice Department is looking seriously, and critically, at social media platforms’ Sec. 230 immunity from liability for third-party posts.
“Section 230 has garnered significant attention from experts, consumer groups, and legislators,” Barr said in a speech in Washington to the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), almost all of whom are investigating social media giants, as is DOJ, for potential anticompetitive conduct. “Within DOJ, we also have started thinking critically this issue.”
He is far from alone. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have raised issues about whether the section is relevant in a world of dominant social media platforms rather than a nascent industry in need of bootstrapping. That includes Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who co-authored Sec. 230. » Read More