Trump’s executive order dropped on Thursday, as promised.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-preventing-online-censorship/
What a nothing burger.
The CDA exists completely outside of the executive branch. All the pres can do is threaten to create more regulations and red tape around the internet – which would only lead to the expansion of the same “deep state” Trump loves to lambast, and put free speech and free enterprise in even bigger trouble.
Section 230 was not intended to allow a handful of companies to grow into titans controlling vital avenues for our national discourse under the guise of promoting open forums for debate, and then to provide those behemoths blanket immunity when they use their power to censor content and silence viewpoints that they dislike.
In other words, “Hey!!! You guys are cheating!!! That’s not fair!!! Waaaaa!”
Trump knows what a useful tool they have in Google et al, for executing psy ops, spying, and geopolitical objectives. That’s why he will never voice support for repealing the CDA – the simplest and most complete solution to all this mess.
If the CDA were to ever be repealed, Google, Facebook, Twitter, et. al would get buried in an avalanche of lawsuits and disappear quicker than Vine and Google Reader. America could enter a technological renaissance, as thousands of their ex-engineers use their technical know-how to start ethical businesses, contribute to open source, and become public servants. We would see a new Web 3.0 emerge, guided by mutual respect, diversity, and cooperation, instead of brainless AI and corporate propaganda.
Trump is not in a position to change or repeal the CDA, but, in assuming these companies as “Too Big To Fail”, he’s happy to hold the American entrepreneur hostage with threats of more regulation.