October 15, 2020

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai issued the following statement today on Section 230 of the Communications Act:

“Members of all three branches of the federal government have expressed serious concerns about
the prevailing interpretation of the immunity set forth in Section 230 of the Communications Act.

There is bipartisan support in Congress to reform the law. The U.S. Department of Commerce
has petitioned the Commission to ‘clarify ambiguities in section 230.’ And earlier this week,
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pointed out that courts have relied upon ‘policy and
purpose arguments to grant sweeping protections to Internet platforms’ that appear to go far
beyond the actual text of the provision.

“As elected officials consider whether to change the law, the question remains: What does
Section 230 currently mean? Many advance an overly broad interpretation that in some cases
shields social media companies from consumer protection laws in a way that has no basis in the
text of Section 230. The Commission’s General Counsel has informed me that the FCC has the
legal authority to interpret Section 230. Consistent with this advice, I intend to move forward
with a rulemaking to clarify its meaning.

“Throughout my tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, I have favored regulatory
parity, transparency, and free expression. Social media companies have a First Amendment right
to free speech. But they do not have a First Amendment right to a special immunity denied to
other media outlets, such as newspapers and broadcasters.”

https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-367567A1.pdf