WASHINGTON—Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) introduced a bill Thursday that would strip online platforms such as Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. of their liability protections if their technologies spread misinformation related to public-health emergencies, such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
The bill, which Ms. Klobuchar previously telegraphed was in the works, would create an exception to the law known as Section 230, which shields internet platforms from lawsuits for content generated by their users and other third parties.
Should the bill become law—which is far from certain—the Health and Human Services Department would face the task of issuing guidance related to whether the internet posts at issue constitute health misinformation.
If HHS determines that they do, the platforms would be more vulnerable to litigation accusing them of spreading misinformation because they would no longer have the broad protections against liability for user-generated content under Section 230.
www.wsj.com/articles/bill-to-strip-social-media-of-protections-for-health-misinformation-11626976800