Section 230: The Importance of Freedom
Section 230 is probably one of the most important laws regarding the internet that has ever been passed. Section 230 states that companies are immune from any sort of legal action from the content than an individual may post on their platform. Platforms can moderate their users without a fear of being sued. Recently there has been discussion of the reform of Section 230. With this reform being heavily considered and discussed, it’s important to realize the impact free-speech on the internet. And the possible reform of Section 230, could create a situation where free speech is no longer as possible as people would want it to be.
The main issue with a possible reform of Section 230 is the upkeep and maintenance sites would have to utilize in order to keep things under control. For the most part, this could essentially be impossible to do for some sites. If you think about it, sites have hundreds of thousands if not billions of people active on them each day. There is no one available to realistically skim through every single post that is made, this is why algorithms are in place, and sometimes these make mistakes. It doesn’t mean they are bad though. If Section 230 would be reformed this would have such a dramatic impact on how internet information is shared via sites like Facebook or Twitter. Content on these sites would be removed for being challenging to the average person. Even if they follow guidelines completely, the simple fact of the matter is that without 230 there is no real way to look at content in a manner that is accurate. Sites would have to rely on mass deletion of content, instead of using advanced algorithms to get the job done.
People like Mark Zuckerburg, have recently come out themselves and said that there should be a reform of Section 230. His points are valid, companies should have more responsibility to take down content that is hateful or illegal. The problem is though, with a reform as aggressive as some propose, content wouldn’t be policed properly, it would be a wide general sweep. It would cost money to make multiple algorithms in order to track content in a way that’s fair for all. A reform of Section 230 in the ways proposed simply aren’t viable or realistic for the long-term upkeep of sites. If the argument is made that companies should take more responsibility, then a reform should reflect that. So far though, suggestions for this reform are suggesting that content be policed in a way that doesn’t seem fair for all. It’s something that won’t work ultimately and will kill free speech online. People should say what they want and follow the rules still. Just cause there are some bad apples on the internet doesn’t mean that the entirety of it is tainted. Content should be judged fairly, without 230, content wouldn’t be judged in a way this is fair to the consumer.
