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We need to stop calling it “Section 230,” “Section 230 of the CDA,” or worst “Section 230 of the Telecommunications Act.” Call it “Section 230 of the Communica
by pyuser583 2y ago
We need to stop calling it “Section 230,” “Section 230 of the CDA,” or worst “Section 230 of the Telecommunications Act.”
Call it “Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.”
As the name implies, the CDA was an attempt at censorship, specifically an act to outlaw internet pornography.
An unconstitutional (per SCOTUS) act to outlaw unpopular speech (pornography).
Far from being some libertarian Christmas gift, the whole point is to facilitate internet censorship.
Without 230 of the CDA, third parties would be held liable for attempts at moderation (a synonym for private censorship).
It’s so bizarre that the popular understanding is so far removed from what was actually done.
- the_why_of_y 2y agoTFA: Also, it is somewhat misleading to call Section 230 “a snippet of law embedded in the 1995 Communications Decency Act.” Section 230 was an entirely different law, designed to be a replacement for the CDA. It was the Internet Freedom and Family Empowerment Act and was put forth by then Reps. Cox and Wyden as an alternative to the CDA. Then, Congress, in its infinite stupidity, took both bills and merged them.