Recent Press Releases

Washington — 

U.S. Sen. John Thune, (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, will convene a hearing titled, “The PACT Act and Section 230: The Impact of the Law that Helped Create the Internet and an Examination of Proposed Reforms for Today’s Online World,” at 10:00 a.m. EDT/ 9:00 a.m. CDT on Tuesday, July 28, 2020. The hearing will examine the important role of Section 230 in promoting and disseminating speech online, and the history, evolution, and expansion of Section 230’s protections for online platforms. The hearing will provide an opportunity to discuss ways to ensure platforms are accountable for their content moderation practices and what legislative measures, from transparency to accountability tools, can empower consumers online.

On June 24, 2020, Thune joined Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), ranking member of the subcommittee, in introducing the Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency (PACT) Act, bipartisan legislation to update Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. The PACT Act would strengthen transparency in the process online platforms use to moderate content and hold those companies accountable for content that violates their own policies or is illegal.

 Witnesses:

  • The Honorable Christopher Cox, counsel, Morgan, Lewis & Bokius LLP; director, NetChoice
  • Ms. Elizabeth Banker, deputy general counsel, Internet Association
  • Mr. Jeff Kosseff, assistant professor, Cyber Science Department, United States Naval Academy
  • Mr. Olivier Sylvain, professor of law, Fordham University

Hearing Details:

Thursday, July 28, 2020

10:00 a.m. EDT/ 9:00 a.m. CDT

Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet

 

Witness testimony, opening statements, and a live video of the hearing will be available on www.commerce.senate.gov.