ALA and ARL Oppose Repealing Section 230

Washington – In a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Technology on March 24, the American Library Association (ALA) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) urged lawmakers to oppose repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects libraries and other institutions from being sued over things that users post online. 

The letter followed a March 18 committee hearing, “Liability or Deniability? Platform Power as Section 230 Turns 30,” where witnesses discussed how Section 230 affects the regulation of online expression and conduct, as well as the constitutional limits on congressional policymaking imposed by the First Amendment.  The letter requested that “any proposal to reform Section 230 consider potential unintended consequences for libraries,” stating:

“Section 230 is commonly associated with large social media platforms, but its protections extend far beyond Big Tech. The statute explicitly covers libraries as providers of ‘interactive computer services,’ and for good reason. As long as there have been libraries, they have organized, curated, and provided platforms for others to speak. Today, libraries engage in these activities online—the very activities Section 230 protects. Libraries host online catalogs, digital archives, remote access services, and community discussion forums that depend on these protections.”

Without Section 230 protections, libraries could be held liable for patrons’ speech on social media, in an online chat room, on a webinar or in a live program. Section 230 also allows libraries to moderate and remove any inappropriate content posted by a patron. 

ALA and ARL argued, “Revision or repeal of Section 230 could damage public access to information, rich conversation, vibrant scholarly debate and enhanced public services.” 

The full letter is available here.

About the American Library Association 
The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For 150 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. Visit ala.org/ppa.