Morgan Wilsmann

Stronger privacy laws, limits on manipulative design, transparency requirements, and targeted changes to Section 230 itself could address platform harms without breaking what works. But repeal would be disastrous.

S230 repeal may seem like an easy way to stick it to Big Tech, but it's not that simple. Platform accountability is needed, but all s230 repeal would do (especially now!) is give powerful people the ability to silence voices they disapprove of.

Public Knowledge Proposes Section 230 Reforms That Address Harms While Protecting Free Expression The potential harms of digital content online can be devastating — but removing Section 230 would only devastate freedom of expression in its place.

Last year, Policy Director @lisahmacpherson.bsky.social laid out two reform ideas that both avoid infringing on either the user or platform’s free expression, and could meaningfully allow for platform accountability for user harm – especially for kids.

We see some of the same section 230 repeal ideas pop up year after year - including to replacing "otherwise objectionable" with just "unlawful" to make platforms neutral conduits of speech (driven by the "anti-conservative bias" rhetoric). ...but its not so simple

Wrote this after the 1st "Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation" hearing in the House Judiciary last year. The facts haven't changed since. Yet Repubs continue to waste resources on the POTENTIAL for censorship of Americans in EU, while ignoring real censorship right here in the U.S.

And to be clear: Paramount-Skydance buying WBD would be just as bad. That deal would combine two of the Big Five studios, merge the #4 and #5 streaming services, and create a massive sports broadcasting power. Any sale of WBD that deepens media consolidation should be blocked.

It's Section 230's 30th birthday, and we're bound to see many, many calls for its repeal. But much of that is driven by a misunderstanding of what S230 does and does not do. Data brokers' attempts to use Section 230 as a shield are one example of where protection begins and ends.

Graphic of a cell phone receiving notifications from various apps, with text that reads: Public Knowledge. Section 230 30th anniversary

Section 230 isn't just a liability shield for online platforms - it's also essential for news journalism and freedom of expression online. Read more in the breakdown from @mwils.bsky.social in her latest blog post:

publicknowledge.org/section-230-...

Speech and Commerce: What Section 230 Should and Should Not Protect Section 230 plays a role in allowing sites with user-generated content to operate while giving them the ability to moderate their platforms

...it was never meant to be a blanket exemption from the kinds of economic, safety, and privacy regulations that apply to other businesses. As @bergmayer.net explains, boundaries are important: #Section230 is meant to protect speech, not business practices.

publicknowledge.org/speech-and-c...

Graphic of a cell phone receiving notifications from various apps, with text that reads: Public Knowledge. Section 230 30th anniversary

#Section230 is both one of the most important and most misunderstood pieces of legislation that affect the internet. As its 30th birthday approaches, read the breakdown from @bergmayer.net on what exactly this law does – and why repeal is the wrong approach.

publicknowledge.org/what-section...

31 Press-Freedom and Civil-Liberties Groups Condemn Government Invasion of Washington Post Reporter’s Home 31 press-freedom and civil-liberties groups published a join statement condemning the government invasion of the home of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson.

We @freepress.bsky.social condemn the invasion of reporter Hannah Natanson's home by FBI agents. We joined together with 30 other press freedom & civil liberties groups with this statement, calling for congressional oversight & reintroduction of the PRESS Act: www.freepress.net/news/31-pres...

Shout out Rep. Menendez's questioning on whether "FCC is an independent agency". Baffled to hear Carr's response to why he wrote that the FCC is indeed independent in Project 2025 was "well, I wrote that in a personal capacity." So does he not actually buy into the unitary executive theory... ?

Beyond seeing how Chair Carr explains his willingness to use his position of power to go after journalists and broadcasters Trump openly destains -- I'm most interested in the debate over broadcast ownership caps and media consolidation.

C&T Subcommittee: Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing com...

We have another FCC oversight hearing today, this time in the House Communications & Tech. Subcommittee. Listening to @agomezfcc.bsky.social now - who opens excoriating the FCC Chair for exploiting the public interest standard to justify censorship efforts.

Senator Schatz did a phenomal job driving home Chair Carr's blatant hypocrisy in how he applies the "public interest standard", asks whether Carr would threaten a conservative comedian's political satire in the same way. Schatz does not let Carr's attempts at trolling land at all. Fantastic work.

@publicknowledge.bsky.social didn't wait for Congress to finally decide to have an oversight hearing to ensure concerns were put in the public record. Last month, we convened former agency staff, civil society leaders, and members of Congress for the "People's Oversight Hearing"

Meanwhile, Ranking Member Cantwell opens on affordability and consumer protection issues, threats to local news/broadcasters, and media consolidation.

Chairman Cruz Announces FCC Oversight Hearing WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced the full committee will convene for a hearing on December 17th ...

The Senate Commerce Committee's FCC oversight hearing is underway. I'm paying attention to how Senators push Chairman Carr on his censorship efforts. Interestingly, Senator Cruz's opening statement calls for updating comms regs, including repealing news distortion rule.

For 25 years, Public Knowledge has fought tirelessly for your rights in the digital era. If you care about defending free expression, securing your privacy, or promoting competition in online markets, we hope you’ll donate to our efforts this #GivingTuesday. Give today: publicknowledge.org/Giving

@debbiedingell.house.gov on Sammy's Law - the parent surveillance law - says not every kid comes from supportive homes, and we cannot shift responsiblity from platforms to parents when it comes to safeguarding kids online.

CMT Subcommittee Markup The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing com...

House E&C CMT subcommittee is currently marking up 18 kids online safety bills

@repyvetteclarke.bsky.social's opening statement is right on: What we need is federal comprehensive data privacy protections, not surveillance & censorship laws.

The House Throws Spaghetti at the Wall with Messy Kids Online Safety Package After years of hearings about kids’ safety online, Congress still has little to show for its efforts.

After years of hearings about kids’ safety online, Congress still has little to show for its efforts — and last week's hearing showed few signs of progress. Read the breakdown from Policy Analyst @mwils.bsky.social:

publicknowledge.org/the-kids-pac...

Brendan Carr is being toasted by all of DC’s communications lawyers.

@freepress.bsky.social and @publicknowledge.bsky.social are here to remind them what’s at stake

Tomorrow at 10:15 EST, @housecommerce.bsky.social is hosting a hearing titled "Legislative Solutions To Protect Children And Teens Online," in which lawmakers will discuss a package of 19 bills aimed at making kids safer online.

We just held the first ever People's Oversight Hearing, where we convened policy experts and civil society leaders to demand accountability from the agencies responsible for protecting the public interest. Join us and tell Congress to hold oversight hearings now: www.votervoice.net/PublicKnowle...

Frmr FCC Chair Tom Wheeler, FIRE Chief Counsel Bob Corn-Revere and Gigi Sohn of Benton Institute on now as witnesses for the FCC oversight hearing portion !

Kids & Teens Safety Regulations for AI Chatbots Could Backfire Tragic stories of teen deaths connected to usage of AI chatbots are providing fuel for legislation to hold AI developers liable.

Lawsuits against AI developers are sparking pushes for new chatbot regulations to protect kid and teen users — but some of these proposals are likely to introduce new concerns. Read the latest from Policy Analyst @mwils.bsky.social:

publicknowledge.org/kids-teens-s...

I do find it amusing the ol' claim that Gmail censors conservatives by putting R's campaign emails in the spam folder.

But I mean, look at it. That's the spammiest looking email i've ever seen.