>> THANKS. >>> IT IS A TIME -- IT HAD A
HUGE IMPACT ON THE INTERNET.
SECTION 230, LAWMAKERS ON BOTH
SIDES OF THE AISLE WANT TO
CHANGE HOW CONTENT IS MODERATED
ONLINE.
ONLINE. WHAT EXACTLY IS SECTION 230?
>> THE SECTION 230 IS A PIECE OF
LAW THAT SAYS THE WEBSITES
AREN’T RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
CONTENT THAT’S POSTED ONLY
THERE.
THERE. SO IF I WRITE SOMETHING ON YELP
IT’S NOT YELP’S FAULT.
BUT IT DOES ALLOW YELP TO
MODERATE AND TO FILTER OUT THE
PROFANCY AND TRY TO CREATE THE
COMMUNITY THEY WANT.
WHEN IT’S WRITE -- WHEN THIS LAW
WAS WRITTEN ON THE BOOKS IN 1996
THE IDEA WAS TO GIVE INCENTIVES
FOR WEBSITES AND FOR TECH
COMPANIES TO HAVE SOME RULES
OVER THE ROAD.
BUT THEY WANTED TO MAKE EVERYONE
RESPONSIBLE FOR IT.
BECAUSE PREVIOUS LAW SAID TO
MODERATE YOUR CONTENT, YOU’RE
RESPONSIBLE FOR AND IT WAS THIS
WAS DESIGNED TO TAKE THE
INSENSIVE AWAY.
INSENSIVE AWAY. ALL 26 WORDS OIFRT NO ONE SHOULD
BE TREATED AS THE PUBLISHER OR
THE SPEAKER OF ANY INFORMATION
PROVIDED BY ANOTHER INFORMATION
CONTENT PROVIDER.
CONTENT PROVIDER. THAT’S REALLY DENSE BUT
BASICALLY IT JUST SAYS IF I
WRITE SOMETHING ON THE INTERNET
IT’S MY FAULT, NOT THE PERSON
WHOSE WEBSITE I’M WRITING ON.
NOW, THAT WAS PERCEIVED BY MANY
COURTS TO ESSENTIALLY TAKE ALL
RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE TECH
COMPANIES FOR WHAT’S ON THE
INTERNET AND THAT’S WHAT WE KNOW
OF THE INTERNET AS WE KNOW IT.
THE BASTIONS OF FREE SPEECH AND
A GROWING NUMBER OF LAWMAKERS
HAVE THE 26 WORDS AS SOMETHING
TO GO AFTER.
DEMOCRATS WANT TIGHTER -- MORE
REGULATION OF THE CONTENT GOING
OUT THERE.
OUT THERE. THEY SAID IT’S CREATING VIOLENCE
ON THE INTERNET, AND REPUBLICANS
HAVE ZEROED IN ON THE DIFFERENT
PART OF THE LAW THAT SAYS THAT
YOU CAN MODERATE THE CONTENT AND
YOU’RE STILL NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR
IT.
IT. THAT MODERATION THEY DON’T LIKE
THAT.
THAT. THEY THINK THAT THE TECH
COMPANIES ARE MODERATING AGAINST
THEM AND THAT THE INTERNET IS
BIASED AGAINST CONSERVATIVES.
THERE’S A REALLY PERVASIVE MYTH
ABOUT SECTION 230 AND THAT’S
WHAT IT REQUIRES NEUTRALITY.
IF YOU’RE WASHINGTON, D.C., AND
A BUNCH OF POLITICIANS TALK
ABOUT IT, THE LAW REQUIRES
NEUTRALITY AND THEREFORE GIVES
PROTECTIONS TO TECH COMPANIES
WHO WITNESS -- WHO AREN’T
BIASED.
BIASED. AND THE DIVERSITY OF IDEAS, BUT
NOT EVERY LAW REQUIRES
NEUTRALITY.
NEUTRALITY. IT DOESN’T SAY YOU HAVE TO BE
NEUTRAL.
NEUTRAL. IT SAYS YOU CAN MAKE YOUR OWN
RULES FOR THE WEB AND THAT’S
FINE.
FINE. SOME DEMOCRATS WANT MORE
MODERATION, MORE REGULATION OF
CONTENT ON THE INTERNET.
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BETO
O’ROURKE HAS PROPOSED SOME
REGULATIONS FOR COMPANIES THAT
HE SAYS DON’T CRACK DOWN ON HATE
SPEECH AND VIOLENCE AND
RADICALIZATION ONLINE.
RADICALIZATION ONLINE. MY COLLEAGUE DAVID INGRAM AND I
ACTUALLY TALKED TO A LOT OF
DIFFERENT EXPERTS AND INDUSTRY
LEADERS.
LEADERS. ONE OF THE REPUBLICANS WHO WROTE
THE LAW YEARS AGO WHO HAS SINCE
RETIRED FROM CONGRESS AND PEOPLE
SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE TALKING
ABOUT HOW YOU WANT TO CHANGE
THIS, HOW YOU WANT TO USE THIS,
AS A BARGAINING CHIP TO GET
SOMETHING OUT OF TECH COMPANIES
THAT HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF POWER.
BUT YOU DON’T HAVE ANY GOOD
SOLUTIONS.
SOLUTIONS. ONE OF THE GOOD SOLUTIONS WOULD
PUT THE FTC IN CHARGE OF THE
INTERNET.
INTERNET. AND IN CHARGE OF OVERSEEING AN
INTERNET MODERATION AND
NEUTRALITY.
NEUTRALITY. THAT WOULD OVERWHELM FEDERAL
RESOURCES A LOT OF PEOPLE TOLD
US AND HOW IS THE FTC GOING TO
REVIEW EVERYTHING ON THE
INTERNET?
INTERNET? PART OF THE REASON THAT THE
POWER WAS PUT IN THE HANDS OF
THE TECH COMPANIES IS BECAUSE
THEY DON’T HAVE THE MAN POWER TO
REVIEW EVERYTHING ON THE
INTERNET.
INTERNET. THE TECH COMPANIES ARE THE ONES
WHO HAVE THE BEST SHOT AT TRYING
TO REVIEW SOME OF THIS.
SOME EXPERTS SAID IF YOU GET RID
OF SECTION 230 YOU HAVE TWO
POLAR OPPOSITES.
POLAR OPPOSITES. YOU HAVE THE INCREDIBLY
MODERATED INTERNET THAT’S SORT
OF LOOKING LIKE MORE LIKE A
MAGAZINE OR YOU HAVE AN INTERNET
WITH NO RULES AT ALL THAT WOULD
MORE LIKE -- IT WOULD BE LIKE A
LOT OF NUDITY, PROFANITY,
VIOLENCE.
VIOLENCE. TECH COMPANIES QUITE LIKE
SECTION 230, IT GIVES THEM A LOT
OF POWER AND FREEDOM AND ONE OF
THE THINGS THAT THE EXPERTS TOLD
US IF YOU GOT RID OF SECTION 230
AND USER GENERATED CONTENT WAS
NOT A HUGE LIABILITY TO PUBLISH
IT WOULD UPEND TWITTER,
FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE THAT DEPEND ON
USER GENERATED CONTENT.
LAWMAKERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE HAVE GOTTEN MUCH MORE
INTERESTED IN HOW THE LAW
REGULATES THE INTERNET.
BUT IT REALLY DEPENDS ON WHAT
THE ACTUAL LAW WILL SAY.
26 WORDS IN 1996 ARE THE LAW OF
THE LAND NOW AND UNTIL WE SEE