Soon after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the US Capitol last week, his social media accounts were suspended by Big Tech companies like Twitter and Facebook for his alleged role in inciting violence and spreading misinformation. The incident spurred a renewed debate about Section 230 of the US’ Communications Decency Act — the controversial piece of internet legislation that permitted these tech companies to flex their powers and ban the president in the first place.
Over the years, reform of Section 230 has been a bipartisan issue — with both the Democrats and the Republicans calling for it to be amended, if not repealed. President Trump, himself, has been a vocal critic of the law, which shields tech companies from being held accountable for what users post online. President-elect Joe Biden, too, has criticised the law and even proposed revoking it completely.
But while the law is widely criticised, most agree that it is essential for…
— to indianexpress.com
