Trump’s draft order targets legal protections for social media platforms

The Hill logoPresident Trump is expected to escalate his feud with social media companies by signing an executive order Thursday that orders a review of a longstanding law protecting Silicon Valley firms from lawsuits, according to a draft viewed by The Hill.

“In a country that has long cherished the freedom of expression, we cannot allow a limited number of online platforms to hand-pick the speech that Americans may access and convey online,” the draft reads. “When large, powerful social media companies censor opinions with which they disagree, they exercise a dangerous power.”

The order would direct an agency within the Commerce Department to file a petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify the scope of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 law that is considered foundational to the internet’s expansion. The statute provides platforms legal immunity for content posted by third-party users while also giving them legal cover to make good-faith efforts to moderate their platforms. Continue reading.