The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is unlikely to take action in an effort to limit the legal protections provided to social platforms under a 1996 law. Ajit Pai, chairman of the FCC, and US President Donald Trump have only 16 days left in office. It remains unclear whether a new, third Republican commissioner for the US Federal Communications Commission can participate in any action.
On October 15, Pai said he plans to put in place new rules to curb the protection provided to social platforms under Article 230. Article 230 is seen as a clause of the Communications Etiquette Act of 1996 that protects social platforms from liability for content posted by users and allows them to remove legitimate posts.
Since October, Pai has not taken any further action on the petition, abandoned his regular press conferences after the committee meetings in November and December, and chose not to place any action on Section 230 on the agenda of the January 13th meeting.
“It is uncertain whether he can participate in any action related to Section 230,” Nathan Simington, a commissioner with the US Federal Communications Commission, said on Monday.
Simington’s office explained that an ethics advisor at the US Federal Communications Commission advised that potential rejection could not be comprehensively ruled out in the future since there is no issue currently pending in Section 230 for the committee to specifically discuss it, however, no reasons have been identified for stepping aside regarding this. Topic at this time.
Trump chose Simington after abruptly withdrawing his candidacy for then-Republican commissioner Michael O’Rielly for a new term in August after O’Reilly questioned whether the US Federal Communications Commission had the authority to issue regulations for social media platforms.
Trump also urged Congress to repeal Article 230 and partially veto an annual defense bill because it did not include the repeal, and Congress overruled its veto.
