How Section 230, Target of Trump, Shaped the Internet

In 1996, when the internet was still unexplored territory for most Americans, the U.S. Congress passed a law that included a provision its supporters meant to protect free speech online. Almost 25 years later, that provision, known as Section 230, is seen as crucial to the business models of some of the world’s most valuable companies including Facebook Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google -- and as a key factor in the ever-deepening swamp of harassment, toxic behavior and misinformation. Narrowing the protections of Section 230, or even trying to get Congress to repeal it, is one way President Donald Trump wants to crack down on social media platforms for what he perceives as unequal treatment.

It’s a small but powerful part of the Communications Decency Act that was originally marketed by its bipartisan sponsors as a “Good Samaritan” law for the internet. The statute has two key provisions. It (a) shields internet companies from liability for most of the material their users post and (b) gives the companies legal immunity concerning “any action voluntarily taken in good faith” to remove materials from their platforms.