Comment by jmyeet

I predict a future showdown over Section 230 because "algorithms" are used to cheat on the safe harbor protections. Let me explain.

The general principle of Section 230 is that a platform provider isn't generally liable for user generated content. This was a key piece of legislation that enabled forums, Reddit and ultimately social media. The platform provider does have responsibilities like moderating illegal content and responding to legal takedowns, etc.

Alternatively if you produce and publish your own content you are legally liable. You can be sued for defamation, etc in a way that you can't if you simply host user generated content (unless you fail to adequately moderate).

REcommendation algorithms (including news feeds) effectively allow a platform provider to select what content gets distributed and what doesn't. All algorithms express biases and goals of humans who create those algorithms. It's not a black box. It is a reflection of the company's goals.

So if you wanted to produce content that's, for example, only flattering to the administration even if you outright lie, you can be sued. But what if your users produce any content you want but you only distribute content that is favorable to the administration? At the same time, you suppress anti-administration content and content creators. It's the same end result but the latter has Section 230 protections. And it really shouldn't.

This isn't hypothetical. The Biden administration revived the dead Trump 1 Tiktok ban to suppress anti-Israel content [1][2][3].

What I find most funny about all this is that the American administration--both parties--are doing the exact thing they accuse China is possibly doing in the future.

[1]: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/11/10/tiktok-faces-renew...

[2]: https://www.internetgovernance.org/2024/03/18/yes-its-a-ban-...

[3]: https://x.com/snarwani/status/1725138601996853424