• Section 230 helps make it possible for online communities to host user speech: from restaurant reviews, to fan fiction, to collaborative encyclopedias. • But recent debates about the law often overlook how it works in practice. • To mark its 30th anniversary, EFF is interviewing leaders of online platforms about how they handle complaints, moderate content, and protect their users’ ability to speak and share information. • A decade ago, Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, received 304 requests to alter or remove content over a two-year period, not including copyright complaints. • In 2024 alone, it received 664 such takedown requests. • Only four were granted.
Article Summaries:
- The EFF marks Section 230’s 30th anniversary by interviewing leaders of online platforms about how they manage complaints and protect user speech. The Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia, received 664 takedown requests in 2024-only four were granted-prompting an expansion of its legal team to defend volunteer editors. Jacob Rogers, the foundation’s Associate General Counsel, explains that Section 230 shields the site from liability, allowing community‑governed editing and reducing legal risk, especially for sensitive topics such as biographies of living persons and culturally controversial content. Rogers outlines the complaint process, which begins with community dispute resolution before legal action.
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