CYBERWAR/LEGAL/POLITICS: “The Senate on Wednesday [3-21-18] is expected to give final approval to landmark legislation aimed at curbing online sex trafficking by limiting federal immunity for internet platforms.
The vote—which comes as public discontent rises over abuse of tech companies’ systems—would be a rare political defeat for the technology industry, which has become a powerful lobbying force in Washington in recent years. Large companies like Alphabet Inc.’s Google long resisted any change to the immunity law, fearing it could lead to a greater erosion of their congressionally granted legal protections against being held liable for what users post online.
The legislation’s success could encourage lawmakers to consider other limits on legal immunity for online platforms in the U.S. and in Europe. Policy makers in Europe have been weighing efforts to hold tech companies liable for a range of internet abuses, including hate speech.
The measure before the Senate this week would help prosecutors and victims go after websites that have facilitated the online sex business… Opponents of the bill argue that the legislation could lead to more limitations on internet speech.”
-John D. Mckinnon, “Senate to Approve Bill Limiting Immunity for Internet Firms in Sex-Trafficking Cases,” The Wall Street Journal online, Mar. 21, 2018 05:30am