‘Time for Talk is Over’ — Congressional Leader Pledges Action Against Facebook
Ahead of Upcoming Testimony from Mark Zuckerberg, Rep. Jan Schakowsky Outlines Facebook’s Complicity in Extreme Online Disinformation in Real Facebook Oversight Board-Common Sense Event
March 22, 2021 — Leading advocates urged Congress to go big on reforms to Section 230 in an event organized by the Real Facebook Oversight Board today, with Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) pledging to hold Mark Zuckerberg accountable for Facebook’s anti-democratic activities when he testifies on Thursday before her House Energy & Commerce Technology Subcommittee. {WATCH VIDEO OF THE FULL EVENT HERE}
Rep. Schakowsky said the hearing would be ‘very different’ from the other tech hearings, which had attracted criticism for letting the tech companies off the hook: “We are done with conversation. We are now moving ahead with regulation and legislation, and that is inevitable. We want them to understand how seriously they better take this.”
She said that Facebook had been implicated not only in the January 6 insurrection, but that Mark Zuckerberg had acknowledged that Facebook had been involved in the incitement of genocide in Myanmar.
“There is a bipartisan agreement that the status quo is just not working. Our members are very enthusiastic right now [to pass legislation]. Disinformation and misinformation are running rampant right now. We saw it just last week [in Atlanta],” said Representative Schakowsky.
Speaking on a panel, Holding Big Tech Accountable — Is Reforming Section 230 the Answer? Schakowsky was joined by other members of the Real Facebook Oversight Board including Jim Steyer, Common Sense CEO and leading advocate for reform of 230; Gaurav Laroia, Senior Policy Counsel, Free Press; and Damian Collins, British MP and tech reformer.
“We are entering an extraordinarily important era of regulation, with consumer groups, Congress, and the UK — we’re at a critical moment. Section 230 may be an entry issue, but we’re holding individual companies accountable, particular Facebook for their negative impacts on democracy,” said Steyer.
In the discussion, panelists argued that Section 230 is not a panacea, and that other regulations and reforms are necessary to address the content issues on Facebook and its platforms. The panelists looked at other remedies that could also serve to improve platform accountability, privacy, and antitrust protections:
“There are other ways forward to reign in Big Tech, such as studying and auditing algorithm recommendations, taxing ad revenues to online platforms, and redistributing revenue to local news companies to fight disinformation,” said Gaurav Laroia, Senior Policy Counsel, Free Press. “Algorithmic civil rights update and anti-discrimination need to be at the heart of regulation and the center of reform.”
Damian Collins drew attention to the Oversight Board’s role in deciding if Donald Trump will be allowed back on Facebook: “If Facebook’s idea of self-regulation is their Facebook Oversight Board, it gives you an idea of just how weak it is.”
He added: “On the one hand, the tech companies have been saying they want regulation. On the other hand, they have been actively lobbying for the free pass they get from Section 230 to be applied around the world. Meanwhile, UK and US reaction to the antitrust side of this is important. Active coordination where pieces are occurring will be really important in the year ahead.”
Interviews are available with any of the panelists.
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About Common Sense
Common Sense is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Learn more at commonsense.org.
About The Real Facebook Oversight Board
The Real Facebook Oversight Board is an emergency response to the ongoing harms on Facebook’s platforms from leading global scholars, experts and advocates. http://www.realfacebookoversight.org/
