A bipartisan group of senators led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduced legislation this week that would set a countdown clock on the decades-old legal shield that has largely protected social media companies and other online platforms from lawsuits over what users post.
The proposal, titled the Sunset Section 230 Act, targets Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a 1996 provision that generally bars holding online services liable for content created by third parties.
Supporters of Section 230 have long argued it helped enable the modern internet by allowing platforms to host vast amounts of user content and moderate it without assuming the legal risks faced by traditional publishers.
Critics from both parties say the immunity is too broad in an era when a handful of companies dominate online speech and profit from viral engagement.
"Giant social media platforms are unregulated, immune from lawsuits and are making billions of dollars in advertising revenue off some of the most unsavory content and criminal activity imaginable," Graham said in a statement. "It is past time to allow those who have been harmed by these behemoths to have their day in court."
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said the bill is aimed at forcing the industry and Congress to negotiate a new balance between innovation, free expression and accountability.
"Children are being exploited and abused because Big Tech consistently prioritizes profits over people," Durbin said. "Sunsetting Section 230 will force Big Tech to come to the table and take ownership over the harms it has wrought."
The measure was introduced by Graham and Durbin along with Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Ashley Moody, R-Fla.; and Peter Welch, D-Vt.
While the senators did not immediately provide a final legislative endpoint in the summary included with the announcement, similar "sunset" proposals have set a firm date after which Section 230 would no longer have force unless Congress acts, effectively using a deadline to compel a broader rewrite.
A House bill introduced this month would end Section 230 after Dec. 31, 2026, illustrating how the concept is gaining traction across Capitol Hill even as lawmakers remain divided over what should replace it.
Advocacy groups including the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Rights4Girls, Fairplay for Kids and the Digital Childhood Alliance endorsed the Senate effort.
"It is outrageous that social media companies have been given special protections from being held accountable under the law even when they hurt our kids, enable criminals and scammers, or profit from illegal activities," said Imran Ahmed, the chief executive officer of the Center for Countering Digital Hate.
"Accountability and transparency are the best way to rebalance our relationship with these vital but often toxic platforms, give us the internet that we need and deserve, and ensure justice for victims," Ahmed added.
Past attempts to narrow Section 230 have repeatedly stalled as lawmakers and interest groups clash over whether changes would curb harmful content or chill lawful speech and burden smaller websites with litigation risk.
But the renewed push comes as Congress faces escalating pressure from parents' groups, child safety advocates and state officials to address online exploitation, fraud and other harms tied to social platforms.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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