US proposes changes in legal immunity for internet platforms

Washington: The US Justice Department unveiled a legislative proposal on Wednesday that seeks to reform a legal immunity for internet companies and follows through on President Donald Trump’s bid from earlier this year to crack down on tech giants. The proposal aims to curb Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which offers big tech platforms like Alphabet’s Google and Facebook protections from liability over content posted by users. The bill would need congressional approval and is not likely to see action until next year at the earliest. There are several pieces of legislation doing the rounds in Congress that seek to curb the same immunity. It was not immediately clear whether the Justice Department will support any single piece of legislation already out there.