Alan Butler Executive Director and President | Official website
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), a non-profit online privacy advocacy group, has disputed the breadth of protections offered by Section 230, arguing that tech companies are overstepping its intended scope. Lawyers for EPIC, Megan Iorio and Tom McBrien, stated in a recent blog post that the provision was not designed to be a substitute for online free speech and innovation.
According to Iorio and McBrien, the provision "was meant to accomplish a very limited purpose: preventing lawsuits that would force internet companies to either screen for and block all illegal content, or to not moderate their platforms at all." They argue that this limited purpose serves to protect free speech online. However, they warn against an overbroad interpretation of Section 230, asserting it could potentially provide internet companies with a license to act without consequence. Such an interpretation could remove an important incentive for these companies to design safe products and comply with generally applicable laws.
