Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has been called "the twenty-six words that created the internet." Enacted in 1996, this law shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content while encouraging good-faith content moderation. Three decades later, it has become one of the most contested provisions in American technology policy, with both Republicans and Democrats calling for reform—but for fundamentally different reasons.