Google CEO Sundar Pichai opposes any change to Section 230 ahead of misinformation hearing

Section 230 is part of a law called the Communications Decency Act, 1996. The law shields any website or service that hosts content such as news outlets' comment sections, video services like YouTube, and social media services like Facebook and Twitter from lawsuits over content posted by users.

Tech giants Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Jack Dorsey will testify before the US House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 25 about the spread of misinformation and disinformation online in the aftermath of the January 6 riots at the Capitol. The US Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr had recently noted that online platforms have allowed misinformation to spread, intensifying national crises with real-life, grim consequences for public health and safety. "This hearing will continue the Committee`s work of holding online platforms accountable for the growing rise of misinformation and disinformation," Pallone had said. Google CEO Sundar Pichai has opposed any change to Section 230 of Communication Decency Act ahead of the congressional hearing on misinformation in the US. Pichai in his prepared remarks said, "We are concerned that many recent proposals to change Section 230 - including calls to repeal it altogether - would not serve that objective well. In fact, they would have unintended consequences - harming both free expression and the ability of platforms to take responsible action to protect users in the face of constantly evolving challenge," Pichai noted that he instead wanted companies to focus on developing content policies that are clear and accessible such as notifying users if their work is removed and giving them ways to appeal such decisions, Bloomberg reported.