Google Supreme Court Case Tests Whether Tech Firms Are Liable for User Content
Section 230 helped the internet flourish. Now its scope is under scrutiny.
Section 230
Section 230 and the Curse of Politics
Gonzalez v. Google presents the Supreme Court’s first opportunity to weigh in on Section 230.
Amicus Brief as to § 230(c)(1) in Gonzalez v. Google
(Note that this case is about immunity when Internet platforms provide access to material, not the separate question about immunity when Internet platforms block access to material.)
Appeals Court Panel Seems Skeptical That FOSTA Doesn't Violate the First Amendment
The 2018 law criminalizes websites that "promote or facilitate" prostitution. Two of three judges on the panel pushed back against government claims that this doesn't criminalize speech.
The Hazards of Holding YouTube Liable for Promoting Terrorism
A Supreme Court case illustrates the potential costs of making it easier to sue social media platforms over user-generated content.
Google's Brief to the Supreme Court Explains Why We Need Section 230
There's a good reason why algorithms are still protected by Section 230.
The Supreme Court Weighs the Future of Section 230
The famous internet law is headed for the High Court.
Indiana Lawsuit Accuses TikTok of Fraud, Calls the App a 'Chinese Trojan Horse'
The lawsuit alleges that TikTok's algorithm funnels inappropriate content directly to teens. That not only defies logic, but it is also antithetical to how a social media platform keeps users.
Abortion Rights Advocates Ask DOJ To Defend Section 230
While "the 26 words that created the internet" have been under fire from both sides, two groups argue that the 1996 law is essential to the future of abortion rights.
Section 230 Heads to the Supreme Court
The crucial protector of internet speech might have some cracks in its armor.
Reddit Is Not Guilty of Sex Trafficking, Says Court
In a post-FOSTA world, Section 230 still protects websites from lawsuits over criminal sexual conduct by their users.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against TikTok Over Child's Death in Blackout Challenge
In his dismissal order, the judge cited Section 230, the law protecting websites from liability for user-generated content.
Supreme Court To Hear 2 Cases About Social Media Moderation and Liability for Terrorism
Does Section 230 shield YouTube from lawsuits about recommendations? Can Twitter be forced to pay damages over the terrorists it hasn’t banned?
Subreddit Gets Users To Call Texas Gov. Greg Abbott a 'Little Piss Baby' To Defy Content Moderation Law
Reddit users are protesting Texas' H.B. 20, which forces social media platforms to host speech they find objectionable.
What Wikipedia Can Teach the Rest of the Internet
Jimmy Wales talks about why his online encyclopedia works, how to improve social media, and why Section 230 isn't the real problem with the internet.
There's No Way FOSTA Isn't a First Amendment Violation, Says Lawsuit
The case is now on appeal after a lower court said the ban on websites promoting prostitution didn't concern protected speech.
The Queen Is Dead. Anarchy in the U.K.?
Plus: The editors respond to a question about the Forward Party.
Is It TikTok's Fault When Children Die Making Dangerous Videos?
A lawsuit alleges that the social media giant "tries to conceal the dangerous and addictive nature of its product, lulling users and parents into a false sense of security."
Abortion Bans Bring First Amendment Battles, Too
Looking back at how abortion advertising bans played out last century may give us some idea what the future holds for speech about abortion.
Australia Offers a Terrifying Vision of an Internet Without Section 230
What happens when YouTube and Facebook can be held liable for their users’ speech?
Thomas Massie Has a Point When He Says Congress' Antisemitism Resolution Has a Free Speech Problem
Massie was the only House member to vote against a resolution demanding social media companies do more to track and suppress antisemitic content.
Elon Musk Is a Wild Card. Good.
Comparing Elon Musk and Barack Obama underscores why entrepreneurs, not politicians, are the more effective agents of social change.
Europe Escalates the Threat to Online Free Speech
While Americans debate what should be allowed on social media, the EU wants government to decide.
YouTube ISIS Videos Mean the Supreme Court Could Reconsider Section 230
Plus: A court rejects a "discriminatory harassment" ban at a Florida university, a private space mission heads back to earth, and more...
In Defense of Online Anonymity
Jeff Kosseff's The United States of Anonymous makes a strong case for letting people hide behind the First Amendment.
Jeff Kosseff: Why Anonymous Speech Is Good—and Constitutional
The author of the definitive history of Section 230 is back with a controversial new book, The United States of Anonymous.
The Sex-Ad Law FOSTA Was a Mistake. Some Lawmakers Want to Fix It.
The SAFE SEX Workers Study Act would look at the impact of FOSTA and the seizure of sites like Backpage and Rentboy.
Justice Thomas (Again) Urges Reconsideration of the Scope of Section 230
In a statement respecting the denial of certiorari, Justice Thomas suggested some courts are adopting an overly expansive interpretation of the immunity conferred by Section 230.
The Heritage Foundation Wants To Break the Internet
The conservative think tank identifies some genuine concerns about tech companies, but gets the prescription wrong.
The EARN IT Act Is Back. Here's What People Are Saying.
Plus: The #OldProProject, food truck police, and more...
California Escalates Its War on the Marijuana Black Market
A new 2022 law will punish anybody “aiding and abetting” unlicensed dealers. It will most certainly harm low-level workers.
Facebook Said My Article Was 'False Information.' Now the Fact-Checkers Admit They Were Wrong.
While this is a problem, it's not one that scrapping Section 230 would solve.
§ 230 and the Civil Rights Modernization Act
My testimony today before a House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology hearing on proposed revisions to § 230.
§ 230 and the Protecting Americans Against Dangerous Algorithms Act
My testimony today before a House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology hearing on proposed revisions to § 230.
§ 230 and the SAFE TECH Act
My testimony today before a House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology hearing on proposed revisions to § 230.
§ 230 and the Preserving Constitutionally Protected Speech Act
My testimony today before a House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology hearing on proposed revisions to § 230.
§ 230 and the Justice Against Malicious Algorithms Act
My testimony today before a House Subcommittee on Communications & Technology hearing on proposed revisions to § 230.
Government Regulation of Social Media Won't Protect Free Speech
Sen. Amy Klobuchar wants to put HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the former California attorney general with a reputation for being a partisan hack, in charge of "health disinformation" online.
Appeals Court Rules Social Media Companies Not Liable for Pulse Nightclub Shooter's Radicalization
"The plaintiffs failed to make out a plausible claim that the Pulse massacre was an act of 'international terrorism' as that term is defined in the ATA."
Facebook Welcomes Regulations, Specifically Those That Hurt Its Competition
Tech giants expressing openness to amending Section 230 are doing so out of naked self-interest, not the goodness of their hearts.
Instagram's Effect on Teens Gives Congress the Latest Pretext To Put Tech on Trial
Plus: California can't limit private prisons, Yellen dismisses bank privacy concerns, and more...
The Texas Social Media Law Is Blatantly Unconstitutional
Government restrictions on private editorial discretion violate the First Amendment.
Everybody Is Wrong About Big Tech
Robby Soave doesn't like it when social media deplatforms users, but the far bigger threat comes from lawmakers on a mission.
Robby Soave: Today's Bipartisan Tech Panic Is Yesteryear's Freakout Over Video Games
The Reason senior editor argues that attempts to break up tech giants and rein in social media are based on flawed arguments.
Australia's Highest Court Holds Media Outlets Financially Liable for Trolls and Shitposters
Here’s why Section 230 is so important.
As Twitter Sex Trafficking Case Proceeds, Platforms Face an Impossible Dilemma
A federal judge says an anti-porn group's suit against Twitter can move forward, in a case that could portend a dangerous expansion of how courts define "sex trafficking."