Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for national regulation of social media platforms, citing concerns for children.
What’s the deal: During an interview on CNN, Clinton argued that stronger national regulations are needed to address the harmful effects of social media. Clinton also called for lawmakers to repeal Section 230, which grants immunity to internet platforms from being held liable for content posted by users of their platforms.
NEW: Hillary Clinton says Section 230 should be repealed, which is what exempts media platforms from being held criminally liable for what’s said on the platform.
— Trending Politics (@tpbreaking) October 5, 2024
Clinton: “If they don’t moderate and monitor content, we lost total control.” pic.twitter.com/Tb0GX9TjrC
What Clinton said: “We need national action and sadly, our Congress has been dysfunctional when it comes to addressing these threats to our children. So you’re absolutely right. This should be at the top of every legislative, political agenda. There should be a lot of things done. We should be, in my view, repealing something called section 230, which gave platforms on the internet immunity because they were thought to be just pass-throughs, that they shouldn’t be judged for the content that is posted. But we now know that that was an overly simple view, that if the platforms, whether it’s Facebook or Twitter or X or Instagram or TikTok, whatever they are, if they don’t moderate and monitor the content we lose total control and it’s not just the social and psychological effects it’s real harm, it’s child porn and threats of violence, things that are terribly dangerous.”
She continued, “We’ve conducted a big experiment on ourselves and particularly our kids and I think the evidence is in. We’ve got to do more, take phones out of schools. I’m so happy to see schools beginning to do that where kids turn their phone in when they walk in the door.”
Another view: While some support holding social media companies accountable for some of the content posted on their platforms, others have raised concerns that such measures could infringe on free speech and lead to over-censorship. Additionally, there are fears that smaller companies could struggle to comply with new regulations, potentially consolidating power in the hands of a few large tech corporations.
