Sen. Josh Hawley is drafting a proposal that may threaten the legal shield that many social media companies and websites enjoy, Politico reports.
A source familiar with the Republican lawmaker’s proposal said the law would require companies like Google and Facebook to stop selling certain targeted ads in order to keep certain legal protections.
Social media companies and other online businesses currently receive protection from being hit with lawsuits over user content under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
In order for businesses in the industry to continue to receive the legal shield, the Missouri senator will introduce a law that makes the protection contingent on not allowing advertisers to target users based on behavioral data. That means the online companies would not be allowed to use web-browsing history and online activity. The focus on consumer behavior is due to concerns that tech companies use people’s online history to help fund their businesses and keep competition away, the source said.
Politico reports Hawley will introduce the bill in the coming weeks. He has been discussing it with Trump administration officials, other senators and outside groups, a source told Politico.
President Donald Trump already has threated to go after Section 230 of the 1996 law. He demanded the legal shield the companies enjoy to be “revoked” over Republican allegations that social media companies bury conservative viewpoints. Trump blasted Twitter for posting warning labels and fact-checks on his tweets. The president asked for federal regulators to take a look at the law last month.
Lawmakers from both parties have asked for a possible amendment to the law as a way to address concerns about how companies moderate content.
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