That means Facebook and other platforms can’t be held liable for what they post. “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.” These 26 words in Section 230 helped create the internet but also led to the birth of misinformation on a grand scale: As the internet grew, Congress thought it would enhance communication if news platforms were not treated as publishers and thus would not be liable for defamation or libel. Why? Because they are not the source of their news content.Ĭongress unintentionally protected the bad actors in news dissemination by passing the Communication Decency Act - particularly Section 230 - in 1996. They don’t have to worry about accuracy and can’t be held liable for what they post. Popular mainstream platforms include Facebook (Meta), Google (Alphabet), Instagram, LinkedIn, NextDoor, Reddit, SnapChat, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. Platforms were meant to act as a town hall bulletin board for anyone to post most anything, whether it’s misinformation (the poster doesn’t know if the news is true or false, but still posts it) or disinformation (the poster knows its news is false, but still posts it).
It’s important to acknowledge this fundamental truth: Many people today don’t understand the difference between news sources and news platforms.