House Commerce Leaders Urge US Trade Rep Lighthizer Not to Include Sec 230 in Trade Agreements

House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) sent a letter to US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expressing their concerns regarding the export of language mirroring Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act in trade agreements. “As you may know, the effects of Section 230 and the appropriate role of such a liability shield have become the subject of much debate in recent years.  While we take no view on that debate in this letter, we find it inappropriate for the United States to export language mirroring Section 230 while such serious policy discussions are ongoing,” the Commerce Committee leaders wrote. “For that reason, we do not believe any provision regarding intermediary liability protections of the type created by Article 19.17 are ripe for inclusion in any trade deal going forward.  Given that our committee closely oversees Section 230 and all portions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we also hope in the future the Office of the United States Trade Representative will consult our Committee in advance of negotiating on these issues.”