56% of Americans oppose the right to sue social media companies for what users post

Some 56% of U.S. adults say people should not be able to sue social media companies for content that other users post on these companies’ platforms, according to a new survey conducted April 12-18, 2021. At the same time, 41% say people should be able to do this.

The right to sue social media companies in this way is one issue at the heart of current debates surrounding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which some lawmakers argue should be amended or repealed. This federal legislation currently protects online platforms from being held liable for content that is posted by users on websites and social media – while also allowing the sites to remove content if they do so in “good faith.” Opponents of changing the law assert that the existing regulation is crucial to protecting speech online and for tech companies to reasonably operate their platforms. Some say it “built” the internet as we know it.