Will the Supreme Court Regulate the Internet?
Ask Students: When was Section 230 enacted? (See description below to learn more about Section 230) Why was the case brought to the Supreme Court?
Summary
The Supreme Court heard a case that could radically alter the internet and social media. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects websites from lawsuits over material posted by users. But the family of a victim killed in an ISIS attack says that immunity should not apply to recommendations YouTube’s algorithms make.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
Discussion Questions
- Who are the individuals and organizations featured in this story?
- Where is hearing taking place?
- What is an algorithmic recommendation or thumbnail as described by Marcia Coyle?
- When was Section 230 enacted? (See description below to learn more about Section 230)
- Why was the case brought to the Supreme Court? What was the original incident?
- How do Democrats and Republicans in Congress differ in their opinions in how social media companies are regulated?
Focus Questions
Do you think the government needs to do a better job regulating the internet, including social media companies like Google and YouTube?
Media Literacy: How could Section 230 be explained in simpler terms? What is “conservative bias”? What is “content moderation”?
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Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories.
