Olivier Sylvain Urges 2 Legal Reforms to Curb Big Tech, Narrowing Section 230
Updated
Updated · NPR · Jun 3
Olivier Sylvain Urges 2 Legal Reforms to Curb Big Tech, Narrowing Section 230
3 articles · Updated · NPR · Jun 3
Summary
Fordham law professor Olivier Sylvain says U.S. internet law should be overhauled with two main changes: narrower Section 230 immunity and a comprehensive national data-protection regime.
Section 230, enacted in 1996, helped online platforms grow by shielding them from liability for user content, but Sylvain argues that protection now lets companies avoid accountability when they know their services cause harm.
He also calls for limits on how platforms collect and use personal data, plus greater transparency around the algorithms that target and amplify content for users.
Sylvain rejects the idea of social media as a neutral digital town square, arguing platforms actively engineer attention for profit rather than simply host speech.
That critique extends to AI, where he says industry arguments against regulation echo the 1990s libertarian case for a lightly regulated internet despite mounting consumer harms.
As Europe regulates AI, will the U.S. create its own rules or risk letting tech giants define the future alone?
With tech's legal shield weakening, will the internet become safer for users or simply more censored by cautious platforms?
If 'addictive' app design is now legally risky, how must social media fundamentally change its user experience?
Section 230 Under Fire: The Legal Reckoning Reshaping Big Tech Accountability in 2026
Overview
Big Tech companies are facing growing pressure as courts and the public demand more accountability. In March 2026, landmark legal decisions found Meta, YouTube, and Google liable for harms to young users, signaling a shift toward holding social media platforms responsible for issues like addiction. Legal experts see this as the end of minimal regulation, with expectations of more lawsuits and calls for reform. This change reflects a broader consensus that the old regulatory framework, which protected tech companies from liability, is no longer sufficient for today’s digital challenges.