Stop the Censorship Act

Bill: 116-hr-4027
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Gosar, Paul A. [R-AZ-4]
Introduced: 2019-07-25
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Civil actions and liability

Freedom of information

Internet and video services

Internet, web applications, social media
Latest action: action_date: 2019-07-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology.

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-07-25
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Stop the Censorship Act</b></p> <p>This bill limits a social media company's immunity from liability for screening and blocking offensive content on its platform. The bill applies such immunity when the company restricts content that is unlawful rather than merely objectionable.</p> <p>Under current law, such immunity also applies to actions taken to enable or make available the technical means to restrict access to material that is objectionable. The bill instead specifies that this immunity applies to actions taken to (1) make available the technical means to restrict access to material that is unlawful, or (2) provide users with the option to restrict access to any material. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4027 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 25, 2019 Mr. Gosar (for himself, Mr. Meadows , Mr. King of Iowa , and Mr. Norman ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 (commonly referred to as the Communications Decency Act) to stop censorship, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop the Censorship Act . 2. Revocation of immunities Section 230(c) of the Communications Act of 1934 ( 47 U.S.C. 230(c) ) is amended— (1) in the heading, by striking and Screening of Offensive Material and inserting of unlawful or objectionable material ; and (2) in paragraph (2)— (A) in subparagraph (A)— (i) by striking material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected and inserting unlawful material ; and (ii) by striking ; or and inserting a semicolon; (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking paragraph (1). and inserting subparagraph (A); or ; and (C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (C) any action taken to provide users with the option to restrict access to any other material, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected. .