One of the internet’s foundational laws just turned 25 years old, and it’s never been more controversial. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects websites and apps from liability for user-generated content, helping to create the internet of today. But problems with online harassment and other crimes — plus mistrust of big services that benefit from the law — have led to calls for change.
Congress has introduced several proposals to overhaul Section 230, most recently the SAFE TECH Act, a sweeping rollback of the law’s protections. These proposals would affect the entire internet, raising huge questions about the future of online communication. Yet public debate has focused on just a few companies: Facebook, Twitter, and…