Trump blasts GOP senators undecided on revising Section 230

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• President Donald Trump criticizes Republican senators for hesitating in changing or repealing Section 230.
• The bill gives immunity to platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, which are also third-party content hosts.
• Joe Biden and many Democrats also support the reforming of or rescinding the Section 230 bill.

On Thursday, President Trump criticizes Republican senators who are unwilling to revise a law that shields social media platforms as part of a yearly military act.

The president, who wants to retaliate on what he claimed was politically biased Twitter and Facebook turned up the heat after he warned on Tuesday that he’d reject the bill if there were no revisions made to Communications Decency Act’s Section 230.

In a Twitter post, Trump said that he believes that some Republican Senators are hesitant to act on cessation of Big Tech’s Section 230,  noting that a National Security and Election Integrity is necessary, adding that the Defense Bill should be terminated.

The fundamental internet law protects companies like Twitter and Facebook that host contents for third-party providers. Several Republicans aim to take away the immunity enjoyed by companies if they don’t act as neutral platforms.

President-elect Joe Biden, along with some Democrats, also backs the revision or revoking of Section 230.

But while some GOPs are amenable to Trump’s pronouncement, others want to deliberate further.

Republican Senator Whip John Thune, R-SD said the defense bill is not the right place to contest the law, adding that he expects there will be massive support for the bill to be passed and signed into law.

James Inhofe, R-Okla., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee says Section 230 is not related to the military, noting that he agrees with Trump, but this bill is not the right one to do it.

Some senators hinted they are willing to insert some amendment to Section 230, including Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Senate Commerce Committee Chairman, and sponsor of a bill to revise the law.

GOP legislators supported the changes or revoking Section 230 in October following Facebook and Twitter’s censorship of The Post’s report about a storage drive that shows the link Joe Biden and Hunter, his son, and his business transactions with Ukraine and China.

Facebook explained it prompted to limit the posting of the reports while fact-checking is underway. Twitter, meanwhile, prevented link sharing, alleging without proof that the file may have been tempered.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter CEO, told legislators afterward that there was a lapse in judgment to block the sharing of the report. The Post got the file from a Delaware computer technician who gave out a document showing that a broken laptop would be lawfully declared as abandoned if not claimed in 90 days.

The issue over Section 230 is not the only matter that could disrupt the yearly National Defense Authorization Act. Trump is also against a provision that would start the process of giving a new name on military bases that paid tribute to Confederate leaders.

Source: New York Post