FCC Commissioner O'Rielly voices doubts about President Trump's executive order

Federal Communications Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said he's unsure whether his agency has the authority to carry out President Donald Trump's executive order targeting tech firms' legal protections. President Trump's order seeks to have the FCC craft regulations limiting the scope of legal immunity that online platforms have under federal law. Commissioner O'Rielly said he sympathizes with the President's claims that conservatives have been unfairly stifled online, but "what we do about that is a different story." Commissioner O'Rielly questioned whether Congress gave the FCC the power to regulate based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which immunizes platforms from legal action over user-posted content and moderation decisions. "I have deep reservations they provided any intentional authority for this matter, but I want to listen to people," Commissioner O'Rielly said, later adding, "I do not believe it is the right of the agency to read into the statute authority that is not there." The executive order directs the Commerce Department to petition the FCC to review the issue. Assuming it gets to that stage, O'Rielly wants the FCC to put the matter to the public for comment.