Big Tech and Free Speech

Published November 2, 2021

Are internet companies such as Facebook and YouTube allowed to censor the content on their websites? Under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, these companies are not held liable for user-uploaded speech, allowing them to determine who to ban or restrict from their platforms. Removing this protection would only make matters worse, as it would put the responsibility for determining who and what to censor in the hands of the government. Further regulating Big Tech comes with unexpected dangers that may do more harm than good.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is regulatory capture, and why is it important to avoid?
2. Should Big Tech companies be considered monopolies? Why or why not?

Additional Resources:

• Watch “Trump’s Facebook Time-Out.” an episode of Matters of Policy and Politics with John Yoo and Bill Whalen. Available here.
• Watch “The Danger of Regulatory Capture,” on PolicyEd. Available here.
• Read “Who Can Restrict Free Speech?” on PolicyEd. Available here.