President Donald J. Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday to take aim at Big Tech’s protection provided by Section 230.
Under Section 230, no provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.
Online intermediaries that host or republish speech receive protection because of this portion of the law.
But President Trump wants to see Section 230 become history.
And few can blame him.
“Section 230, which is a liability shielding gift from the U.S. to ‘Big Tech’ (the only companies in America that have it – corporate welfare!), is a serious threat to our National Security & Election Integrity,” Trump tweeted. “Our country can never be safe and secure if we allow it to stand.”
Trump said if Section 230 is not “completely terminated” as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, he will veto the bill.
Outlets like Facebook and Twitter will find few sympathizers in conservative circles as they have routinely censored conservatives and conservative speech on their platforms.
It will be interesting to watch this showdown unfold in the coming days and weeks.
