Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today issued the following statement, attributed to TechNet President and CEO Linda Moore, following the Supreme Court’s ruling to protect Section 230 in Gonzalez v. Google:
“Section 230 is the foundational law that has allowed the internet and our economy to thrive and Americans to benefit from its continued growth and innovation. Today’s ruling in Gonzalez v. Google underscores the important role Section 230 continues to play in today’s internet.
“We always believed the Court should uphold Section 230, and we are pleased that they did. Any changes to the law must come from Congress, not the courts, and be thoughtful, bipartisan, and avoid any unintended consequences that would fundamentally change how we communicate and interact online, create a less safe user experience, endanger free speech, or hurt our economy.”
Section 230 is a portion of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 that provides important protections for small, medium, and large businesses to operate online. In advance of the Supreme Court’s oral arguments in the case earlier this year, TechNet published a blog post outlining the strong legal arguments for protecting Section 230 and the harmful effects undermining it would have on all Americans. In January, TechNet joined the Computer & Communications Industry Association, NetChoice, Digital Media Association, the Information Technology Industry Council, and the Interactive Advertising Bureau in submitting an amicus brief to the Supreme Court highlighting why content organization is protected by Section 230.