Chaotic Stream of Rival Anti-Section 230 Proposals Muddy Constructive Debate

Chaotic Stream of Rival Anti-Section 230 Proposals Muddy Constructive Debate

[Update, 4:35 p.m: Added yet another just-released bill: the House version of EARN IT introduced this afternoon by Representative Sylvia Garcia (D-Texas)]

WASHINGTON — As an unprecedentedly chaotic and fractious electoral campaign heads into its final month, a flurry of new proposals by members of both major parties targeting Section 230 — the so-called “First Amendment of the internet” — join a crowded debate about the controversial legislation.

Over the past few weeks the following proposals have been adding fuel to a bipartisan effort — though particularly propelled by Donald Trump’s feud with social media platforms, A.G. William Barr’s highly politicized Department of Justice and Congressional GOP moral crusaders like Lindsey Graham — to suspend, limit or abolish longstanding liability protections for internet platforms and services:

A Smörgåsbord of Proposals

This ever-growing smörgåsbord of proposals, all curtailing Free Speech online and digital rights in the name of various causes, now joins the longstanding attacks on 230 which picked up steam earlier this summer as Trump became enraged by attempts by social media platforms to moderate his messaging and that of his son and other followers.

Before September these included:

None of these proposals are identical, and all of them prioritize the specific interests of their sponsors, from Graham’s insistence in creating a new government bureaucracy to make decisions about what instance deserves protection from liability and which one does not, to the folksy cluelessness of Senator John Kennedy’s bizarre obsession with mind control and manipulation, to the more bipartisan PACT Act, which many observers consider the adults-in-the-room option among this colorful carnival of election-year legislative ingenuity.

Half-Baked Proposals

Legal scholar and Section 230 expert Jess Miers, currently at Google, told XBIZ she “remains baffled that our elected leaders continue to prioritize burning down the internet as our country gets sicker, weaker and closer to the brink of an all-out civil war.”

“The only thing we should be talking about right now is how we’re going to put an end to [this situation],” she said. “Instead, our Senators are churning out half-baked proposals to amend Section 230 in ways that will hamstring websites from fighting pernicious content.”

For Miers, each of these bills share a common theme: to make it harder for websites to remove what she calls “lawful but awful” content.

“Each of the supporters of these bills, the DOJ, and many others, have taken a stance in favor of keeping socially harmful content on the web,” Miers said. “It’s especially disgraceful at a time where rampant misinformation and disinformation threaten the integrity of our elections, our democracy and our health.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Sara Jay, Dan Leal to Sponsor XBIZ Amsterdam Kick-Off Event

Sara Jay’s Wyde Syde Productions and Porno Dan Leal’s Market64 will co-sponsor the Bottoms Up Day Drinking kick-off event for XBIZ Amsterdam 2025 at Excalibur Café on Sept. 2, from 2-4 p.m. (CET).

AEBN Publishes Report on DP Trends

AEBN has published a report on DP and extreme penetration categories from its straight and gay theaters.

Free Speech Coalition Appoints Megan Stokes to Board of Directors

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced today that it has appointed Megan Stokes to its Board of Directors.

FansRevenue Acquires DivaTraffic

FansRevenue has acquired web traffic service DivaTraffic.

AEBN Announces Peter Green as Top Male Boy/Girl Performer for Summer 2025

AEBN has revealed its top 10 male Boy/Girl performers for summer 2025, with Peter Green landing atop the leaderboard.

Spicey AI Relaunches Site, Debuts $Spicey Tokens

Interactive voice chat platform Spicey AI has relaunched its website and introduced $Spicey tokens.

FSC: Missouri Age Verification Rule Will Not Take Effect August 30

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) announced that Missouri's proposed age verification legislation will not take effect on August 30, as it had originally estimated.

Little Caprice, Marcello Bravo to Co-Host 2025 XMA Europa Awards

XBIZ is pleased to announce that husband-and-wife duo Little Caprice and Marcello Bravo will co-host adult’s biggest night in Europe: the 2025 XMA Europa Awards on Sept. 4, in the epic climax to XBIZ’s fall events series.

Germany Will Block Payments to AV-Noncompliant Adult Sites as of Dec. 1

Starting Dec. 1, Germany will implement new rules prohibiting financial institutions from providing payment services to adult sites deemed to have inadequate age verification systems and making it easier for the government to target websites mirroring the content of such sites.

Jerkmate Joins Pineapple Support as Partner-Level Sponsor

Jerkmate has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Show More