The “Break Up Big Tech Act,” if enacted, would remove key protections from companies who engage in biased censorship.
Conservatives and liberals actually uniting to do something good seems like a Christmas miracle. “Today, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) and Rep. Paul Gosar (AZ-04) introduced the Break Up Big Tech Act of 2020,” a Dec. 9 press release from Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard’s (D-HI) website proclaimed. The press release explained this powerful bill “would remove the Section 230 legal immunity shield that protects interactive computer service providers — like big tech monopolies and social media companies — who engage in certain manipulative practices, including acting as publishers and censoring certain users.”
The press release included Gabbard’s description of how the free ride for Big Tech companies is over:
“This bill removes the legal immunity that service providers have taken advantage of to act with impunity, while maintaining Section 230 protections for those who provide truly neutral social media platforms or search engines without the use of manipulative algorithms.”
Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who joined Gabbard in introducing the Bill, was quoted in the press release: “The Break Up Big Tech Act revokes liability protections for bad Samaritans and instead empowers users.” He later added: “I am proud to work with Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on the Don’t Push My Buttons Act, Stop the Censorship Act, and now the Break Up Big Tech Act to reform Section 230 and protect online consent and free speech instead of censorship and manipulation.”
Gabbard was quoted raking Big Tech over the coals for having “made billions of dollars by creating online platforms that monetize our private information, use manipulative and destructive algorithms, and act as publishers choosing what information they want to censor or publish.” She went on to suggest Big Tech companies “undermine our freedom of speech and treat us and our attention as the product” without “any regard for the damaging consequences.”
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was described in the press release as legislation that “generally provides liability immunity for online companies that publish information provided by third-party users.” It further specified: “The regulation creates a ‘Good Samaritan’ liability protection for those running interactive computer services should they remove third-party materials deemed obscene or objectionable so long as it is done in good faith.”
The press release made a clear declaration: “The law is out of date and has not kept up with the destructive practices of big tech monopolies, who are essentially acting as publishers with the use of manipulative algorithms.”
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your local representative and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
