"What he can do and wants to do is use his bully pulpit to bully companies that moderate content in a way he doesn't like," says Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future. "And if he continues to do that, he's very likely to run smack into the First Amendment, which, contrary to misconception, is the real thing that protects online speech." This highlights the tension between content moderation and free speech protections.
"Agencies are basically losing the ability to interpret how they can enforce when language is vague in the statute," says Lewis. "Section 230's language is actually very short and very straightforward and has no FCC action attached to it." This indicates the complexities agencies face in enforcing laws like Section 230.
Over the summer, the Supreme Court ruled that a company's moderation decisions are protected under the First Amendment. This underscores the judicial backing behind the right of companies to control content on their platforms.
Still, Republicans currently control all three branches of government and could either rule in the administration's favor or pass new legislation putting the FCC as the top cop on the beat. This potential shift in power dynamics could significantly impact content moderation.
Collection
[
|
...
]