Can, and should, Big Tech be politically neutral when it’s privately owned?
Trump praised the new bill at the White House’s social media summit — a gathering of right-wing figures who claim to be the victims of Silicon Valley’s liberal bias
New York — When Josh Hawley, the freshman US senator from Missouri, introduced a bill last month proposing a major change to one of the foundational laws of the modern internet, he was largely pilloried. Hawley’s idea — to make big tech companies convince the Federal Trace Commission (FTC) they are politically neutral if they want to continue receiving a crucial immunity from legal liability they have enjoyed for the last 20 years — was described as unserious and unworkable. Not a single law maker signed onto the bill as a co-sponsor.
Hawley finally got a major endorsement on Thursday. President Donald Trump praised the bill at the White House’s social media summit — a gathering of right-wing figures who claim to be the victims of Silicon Valley’s liberal bias. The president then announced he was asking large social media companies — which were conspicuously absent from the first meeting — to come to the White House in the coming weeks and hash things out with Hawley, other un...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.