Senators Urge February Vote on Section 230 Reform to Hold Social Media Companies Accountable
A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Lindsey Graham has sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urging a vote in February on legislation aimed at reforming Section 230 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Senators signing the letter include Chuck Grassley, Josh Hawley, Marsha Blackburn, Dick Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Amy Klobuchar, and Richard Blumenthal.
The letter contends that Section 230 has provided excessive immunity to tech platforms, allowing them to avoid accountability for various online harms. These include fentanyl-laced pills being sold to teenagers, online child grooming and exploitation, AI-generated deepfake pornography, and the recruitment of vulnerable individuals by terrorist groups and foreign governments.
Sen. Graham described his New Year's wish as bringing social media companies to heel and opening access for victims to seek recourse in courts. He has introduced legislation that would fully repeal Section 230, which if enacted, would remove federal immunity for tech platforms two years after passage.
The push from this bipartisan coalition highlights the demand for major reforms and increased accountability for large technology companies to address the harmful activities occurring on their platforms.
