Statement on Supreme Court Case Gonzalez v. Google and Fate of Section 230

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 17, 2023–Next week, the Supreme Court will for the first time consider the scope of Section 230, which provides legal immunity to online companies for content hosted on their platforms. James P. Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense Media issued the following statement ahead of Gonzalez v. Google's opening arguments.

"For decades, the internet has remained virtually unregulated due to the immunity that Big Tech companies have hidden behind ever since the ink dried on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Big Tech's business model, which is fueled by excessive data collection and powerful algorithms, serves to promote users to dangerous ideologies and connects them to groups and influencers who promote harmful content, such as eating disorders, self-harm videos, and even terrorist activity.

"We're at a watershed moment. It's clear that we can't depend on a divided Congress to create laws to hold social media companies accountable for these harmful practices. So it's now up to the nine justices of the Supreme Court in Gonzalez v. Google who can quite literally determine the future of the internet. I hope their decision puts them on the right side of history."

Read the brief of amici curiae that Common Sense Media and Frances Haugen filed with the Supreme Court on the Gonzalez v. Google case here.

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