Electronic Frontier FoundationThe U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases next week that could dramatically affect users’ speech rights online. Here’s what you need to know about Gonzalez v. Google, Twitter v. Taamneh, and how Section 230 protects us all. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/02/section-230-trial-heres-what-you-need-know
Shoq 🌿Please note: if this goes against us, this entire Fediverse project will be in doubt. Along with democracy.
Arp Laszlo • Comics • ADHD@shoq Can you explain a bit more?
Joe Ortiz@arpcomics @shoq This primer from the EFF back in December of last year helps especially if you're hosting a instance in the US: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/12/user-generated-content-and-fediverse-legal-primer
User Generated Content and the Fediverse: A Legal Primer
A growing number of people are experimenting with federated alternatives to social media like Mastodon, either by joining an “instance” hosted by someone else or creating their own instance by running the free, open-source software on a server they control. (See more about this movement and joining...
@arpcomics @shoq It's a major threat because if #Section230 gets watered down or dies outright which is very much possible, US based websites (not just the fediverse projects hosted in the US) will have two choices: either risk liability lawsuits for content people post, or shut down completely.
It's likely the latter.
@arpcomics @shoq If you don't believe me, here's a good post just today on what's at stake: https://www.techdirt.com/2023/02/17/next-week-the-supreme-court-could-destroy-everything-good-about-the-internet/
@arpcomics @shoq You should read the pieces and it's accompanying ones for a fuller understanding. I'm not a lawyer nor a expert in this but I'm fully aware that this could be disasterous for the fediverse at least in the US.
@arpcomics @shoq Problem is that a server will likely face lawsuits if 230 is repealed which most can't afford to fight.
Sharing you this instead since you don't quite understand: https://www.techdirt.com/2020/06/23/hello-youve-been-referred-here-because-youre-wrong-about-section-230-communications-decency-act/
Hello! You've Been Referred Here Because You're Wrong About Section 230 Of The Communications Decency Act
Hello! Someone has referred you to this post because you’ve said something quite wrong about Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. I apologize if it feels a bit cold and rude to resp…
Mike Masnick ✅@arpcomics @joeo10 @shoq "moderated well" won't save you from false claims of defamation. Or if *anything* goes wrong. Say two people communicate and meet up, and it leads to a fight. Without 230, expect lawsuits blaming the instance for connecting the two. There are lots and lots of frivolous, ruinous lawsuits that would result.
@arpcomics @joeo10 @shoq not sure what you mean there? Instances are free to moderate as they wish *because* of Section 230. So they can set their own rules and moderate. If you take away 230 that becomes more risky because you might face liability
@mmasnick @joeo10 @shoq Stochastic terrorism is using disgust to incite violence. Like '[insert marginalized group here] are [negative adjective]." Repeat it enough and someone will take a gun and kill people. And this also dovetails a bit with misinformation.
Neither of these things were as a big a problem as they are now with platforms providing reach - and 230 also keeps them from having any responsibility.
We need a middle ground between 230 & no 230.
@arpcomics @joeo10 @shoq I know what the term means. But, also, there's no underlying tort or crime. So 230 plays literally zero role here. Changing it, getting rid of it, none of that helps you deal with the issue.
You're barking up the wrong tree.
@arpcomics @joeo10 @shoq undermining the principles of free speech will contribute to a much faster decline.
User Generated Content and the Fediverse: A Legal Primer
A growing number of people are experimenting with federated alternatives to social media like Mastodon, either by joining an “instance” hosted by someone else or creating their own instance by running the free, open-source software on a server they control. (See more about this movement and joining...