SENATORS FOLLOW UP TRUMP ORDER

A group of Republican senators on Tuesday asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to “clearly” define when social media platforms should receive protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

The letter from Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Josh Hawley (Mo.), Kelly Loeffler (Ga.) and Kevin Cramer (N.D.) comes on the heels of an executive order from President Trump aimed at that same law.

Section 230 gives companies operating online immunity for content posted on their platforms by third parties and allows them to make “good faith” efforts to moderate content.

Trump’s executive order, among other things, directs an agency within the Commerce Department to file a petition with the FCC to clarify the scope of Section 230.

The order implies that a reinterpretation of the rule could make social media platforms more liable for claims based on third-party content, as well as their efforts to moderate their platforms.

Tuesday’s letter focuses on what that review by the FCC could look like.

It says that it is time to “take a fresh look at” the portion of Section 230 that gives immunity for efforts to police platforms, calling the “good faith” standard vague in the statute.