United States: Hillary Clinton has warned that “we lose total control” if social media corporations don’t exercise more restraint in restricting what Americans post on their sites.
In a recent CNN conversation, Clinton said, “We need national action, and sadly, our Congress has been dysfunctional when it comes to addressing these threats to our children. So you’re absolutely right. This should be at the top of every legislative and political agenda.”
She called for removing Section 230, a significant US legal provision that shields online companies from accountability for user-posted information, according to the reports.
“In my opinion, section 230 should be repealed. This granted online platforms protection as it was believed that they were merely pass-throughs and shouldn’t be held accountable for the content that is posted. However, we now realize that was an unduly simplistic perspective,” Clinton added.
The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of Section 230 in the past.
The legislation provides that “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider,” as well as “No cause of action may be brought and no liability may be imposed under any State or local law that is inconsistent with this section.”
Clinton included restrictions regarding anything linked to violent or illegal activity, but her remarks are part of her larger campaign to demand that so-called “misinformation” on social media be taken down, as per reports.
In an attempt to create a deterrent, the former first lady and secretary of state suggested last month on MSNBC that Americans could be “civilly or even in some cases criminally charged” for specific posts.
What are your thoughts on Clinton’s warning to shut down your right to free speech?