Blumenthal & Hawley to Hold Hearing on the Future of Tech's Legal Immunities Following Argument in Gonzalez v. Google

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Josh Hawley (R-MO), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, will convene their first hearing on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 2:00 PM titled “Platform Accountability: Gonzalez and Reform.”

“Tech giants have long turned a blind eye to horrific harms and dangers rampant on their platforms, and Section 230 gives them broad legal immunity to continue doing so—demanding serious Congressional action,” said Blumenthal. “This hearing will examine Big Tech’s expansive legal immunities and opportunities for reform in light of the Supreme Court’s deliberations in Gonzalez v. Google. I look forward to chairing this Subcommittee’s first hearing in the new session to thoughtfully and carefully consider necessary tech liability shield reforms.”

“I look forward to this hearing on the future of Section 230,” said Hawley. “More and more, leaders on both sides of the aisle are acknowledging that the current law isn’t working. Big Tech should be held accountable for their decisions, like their hands-off approaches to the proliferation of exploitation material on their sites. This hearing is a critical first step.”

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law has jurisdiction over legal issues pertaining to technology and social media platforms, including online privacy and civil rights as well as the impacts of new or emerging technologies.

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