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| Facebook Twitter and Google officials will defend the laws that protect them |
Reuters reported on Tuesday, based on written data from Twitter, Facebook and Google, that the company's CEO will tell US lawmakers at a hearing on Wednesday that federal laws protecting internet companies are essential to free speech online.
Section 230 (Section 230) is a provision of the Communications Etiquette Act of 1996 designed to protect technology companies from user liability for content and to enable them to remove legal but objectionable content. Section 230 has come under heavy criticism from the Republican president (Donald Trump) as well as by Democratic and Republican lawmakers, who have been concerned about content restriction decisions for major tech companies.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will tell the Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday that (Rule 230) enterprise erosion "could disrupt the way we communicate online, leaving a few well-funded tech giants."
Dorsey urged "thinking and exercising restraint in dealing with general regulatory solutions to content restriction issues," and warned that "comprehensive regulation could further entrench companies with larger market shares."
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, has warned that if technology companies are scrapped, they can take more control to avoid legal risks (Article 230). He said, "Without (Article 230) the platform can be responsible for everything that people say."
Zuckerberg also said: Without laws, technology companies can be responsible for imposing fundamental restrictions, such as eliminating hate speech and harassment.
Google (Sundar Pichai) said: The company carried out its work without political bias and was able to provide the information it provided based on the current legal framework (as in Section 230).
Pichai's written affidavit states: "I urge the Committee to be very careful about the changes (Article 230) and to be aware of the consequences that these changes may have on companies and consumers."
In addition to discussions about legal reforms, the hearing will also raise issues related to consumer privacy and media participation.