March 2019

In Defense of Section 230

Democratic leaders and industry officials cast GOP talk of cracking down on tech’s content moderation practices as out of touch with conservative values. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who helped author Section 230, said “calls for government regulation of online speech and the business practices of private corporations run counter to everything conservatives claim to believe.” Sen Wyden added altering liability protections would unleash “an onslaught of bad-faith lawsuits and pressure campaigns” on tech companies.

Baltimore City Council considers blocking any future sale of city's conduit system, possibly to encourage public broadband system

The Baltimore (MD) City Council is considering asking voters to block the sale of Baltimore’s 700-mile, century-old underground conduit system, a move supporters say could encourage a public broadband system in the future. The terra cotta system dates to 1898 and contains telephone, electric and fiber-optic cables. Owning the system leaves open the possibly for the city to create a public broadband network. Council President Bernard C.