News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The EARN IT act is back, and it’s more dangerous than ever by zozbot234 on Saturday February 05, 2022 @08:03PM (#30228168)
EARN IT is tightly focused on the perceived issue of CSAM material, exploitive "grooming" of minors via the Internet, and the like. It would do zilch to incent large social media companies against using algorithms that implicitly promote outrage-inducing content, much of it naturally being fake news and misinformation. It would also make it harder for smaller, more independent actors to counter these dynamics - because increased, more complex regulation and heavier liability always hinders smaller actors to the benefit of larger ones. You're conflating two issues which have very little to do with one another.
Re:The EARN IT act is back, and it’s more dangerous than ever by Diesel555 on Saturday February 05, 2022 @08:16PM (#30228263)
You are right. I just read the bill. I believe 230 needs to be amended and that the damage it provides is real. But, the EARN IT act does not fix that. I do think it's important for people to understand why 230 is bad. But again, this act does not remove the designation as an "interactive computer service." It just provides exemptions for CSAM. I added an edit up top.

When I read in the article:

> the EARN IT Act would, if passed, pare back online service providers’ broad immunity under a federal law called Section 230, exposing them to civil lawsuits and state-level criminal charges for the child sexual abuse material (CSAM) posted by their users.

I assumed it was reclassifying social media companies, which would have broad implications, under the stated purpose of CSAM. I wanted to provide background on why 230 should be changed, not on the content of EARN IT. But I agree it conflates two separate things.

Here is the bill for anyone else that wants to read it.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6544...