Today, NetChoice raised opposition to the “Curbing Abuse and Saving Expression in Technology Act” introduced by Representative Greg Steube (R-FL). Despite its admirable purpose of stopping child exploitation online, this bill uses a flawed method that will amend Section 230 and force private websites to moderate in a way “reasonably consistent with the First Amendment.”
“While the CASE-IT Act admirably attempts to combat child exploitative content online, the bill discourages content moderation and forces platforms to choose between stopping child sexual abuse online and removing hate speech and terrorist content,” said Carl Szabo, Vice President and General Counsel of NetChoice.
“Rather than putting online platforms in an impossible choice, lawmakers should work to make it easier for them to moderate harmful content, not harder,” continued Szabo. “By tying liability protections provided by Section 230 to a standard that is ‘reasonably consistent with the First Amendment to the Constitution,’ this bill will compel online platforms to under-moderate while also unfortunately failing to address both child sexual abuse,” continued Szabo.