Internet Society CEO and President, Andrew Sullivan, recently testified in front of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law in support of Section 230. During the “Platform Accountability: Gonzalez and Reform” hearing, Andrew highlighted the importance of Section 230 for the open and globally connected Internet, and the ability of individuals to speak, debate, innovate, and be creative online. The hearing discussed a recent Supreme Court case, Gonzalez vs. Google, in which the Internet Society filed an amicus curiae brief.

Sullivan argued that making changes to the law with the intention of only targeting large platforms could easily harm the Internet for everyone. He cautioned that even something narrowly aimed at the largest corporate players presents a risk to the Internet. Removing the protections that keep a video platform from being held liable would undermine the ability of that platform—and other intermediaries, too, like the Internet service provider that was used to upload the video—to host or carry any users’ content.

Sullivan’s testimony highlighted the need to consider the potential impacts of changes to the rules of the Internet, and to take an approach that is mindful of the potential risks to the broader ecosystem. He warned that changes to Section 230 that remove platform liability protection “would give [large companies] a permanent advantage over potential new competitors.” He concluded his testimony by noting that the Internet must remain open, globally-connected, secure, and trustworthy, and these protections must be maintained in order to support everyone who relies on the Internet for good.