a16z Podcast

Section 230: Everything You Need to Know -- Tweets, Free Speech, Beyond

Jan 9, 2021

Mike Masnick, founder and editor-in-chief of TechDirt, dives deep into Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a crucial law for online platforms. He discusses the balance between free speech and content moderation, highlighting its complexities and implications in today's digital world. The debate over classifying internet services as public utilities is also explored, along with significant court cases influencing social media moderation policies. Masnick emphasizes the need for innovative moderation strategies and addresses the regulatory challenges facing online services.

39:37

Creator website

Episode guests

Mike Masnick

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Episode notes

Intro

2min

Understanding Section 230: Origins and Impact

9min

Debating Internet Services as Public Utilities

2min

The Public Square Debate: Legal Perspectives on Social Media Moderation

3min

Exploring Section 230 and Government Influence on Online Services

3min

Navigating FCC Authority and CDA Complexities

10min

Navigating Section 230 and Content Moderation

10min

All about section 230 of the Communications Decency Act -- in what Wired senior writer (and host of the Get Wired podcast) described as "one of the clearest-but-still-nuanced explainers I've heard - worth listening to".

So what does and doesn't it say? How does this law play out against broader questions and debates around platforms, content moderation, and free speech? This conversation between Mike Masnick (founder and editor in chief of Techdirt) and a16z editor in chief Sonal Chokshi was originally published on our show 16 Minutes, in the context of previous protests and presidential tweets (and an executive order then to prevent “online censorship”)-- but is exactly as relevant today... perhaps now more than ever.

https://a16z.com/2020/05/31/16mins-section-230-communications-decency-act-content-moderation-free-speech-internet-past-present-future/

image: presidential tweet activity/ Wikimedia Commons

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