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Barr Asks: Should Facebook, Google Be Liable for User Posts?

Reuters

   WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney General WilliamBarr on Wednesday questioned
   whether Facebook, Google and othermajor online platforms still need the
   immunity from legalliability that has prevented them from being sued
   over materialtheir users post.

   "No longer are tech companies the underdog upstarts. Theyhave become
   titans," Barr said at a public meeting held by theJustice Department to
   examine the future of Section 230 ofthe Communications Decency Act.

   "Given this changing technological landscape, validquestions have been
   raised about whether Section 230's broadimmunity is necessary,at least
   in its current form," he said.

   Section 230 says online companies such as Facebook Inc.,Alphabet Inc.'s
   Google and Twitter Inc.cannot be treated as the publisher or speaker of
   informationthey provide. This largely exempts them from liability
   involvingcontent posted by users, although they can be held liable
   forcontent that violates criminal or intellectual property law.

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