Amid allegations from both sides of the political aisle that “misinformation” by opponents may alter the results of this fall’s presidential election, Hillary Clinton recently called for the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. 

Section 230 is the liability shield that puts legal responsibility for third-party posts on the authors of the content instead of on the internet platforms and websites that host the material. Signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the rule has allowed for the enormous growth of large social media companies, such as Facebook, YouTube, and X. Section 230’s protections have also kept user reviews and comment sections on all-sized websites from becoming prohibitively expensive legal risks for hosts.