Websites which allow users to post content are immune from lawsuits because they qualify as platforms according to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. But under proposed legislation by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, companies would lose this immunity unless they could prove to the Federal Trade Commission that their content removal practices are neutral. “This legislation simply states that if the tech giants want to keep their government-granted immunity, they must bring transparency and accountability to their editorial processes and prove that they don’t discriminate,” Hawley said.
Under Hawley’s bill,” Fox News reported,
“big tech firms would have to provide evidence to the FTC proving that
their algorithms and content-removal practices are neutral. Tech titans
would also be responsible for the costs of performing audits, and would
also have to re-apply for immunity every two years.”