Ep. 221: Section 230 co-author, Rep. Christopher Cox

Some argue that Section 230 allows the internet to flourish.
Others argue it allows harmful content to flourish.

Christopher Cox knows something about Section 230: He co-wrote
it. 


Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is an American law
passed in 1996 that shields websites from liability for content
posted on their sites by users. 

What does Rep. Cox make of the law today?

Rep. Cox was a 17-year member of the House of Representatives and
is a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.


Timestamps


0:00 Intro


2:43 Did Section 230 create the modern internet?


7:48 America’s technological advancement


11:33 Section 230’s support for good faith content moderation


18:00 User privacy and age verification?


25:37 Rep. Cox’s early experiences with the internet


30:24 Did we need Section 230 in the first place?


37:51 Are there any changes Rep. Cox would make to Section 230
now?


42:40 How does AI impact content creation and moderation?


47:23 The future of Section 230


54:31 Closing thoughts


57:30 Outro


 


Show notes:


Transcript

Section 230 text

“The Twenty-Six Words that Created the Internet” by Jeff
Kosseff

Cubby, Inc. v. CompuServe Inc. (S.D.N.Y. 1991)

Stratton Oakmont, Inc. v. Prodigy Services Co. (N.Y. Sup. Ct.
1995)

“Section 230: A Retrospective” by Chris Cox

Section 230: Legislative History (Electronic Frontier
Foundation)