Taylor Lorenz’s Power User How Section 230 Became Political : The Secret Campaign To Seize Power Over the Internet
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Mar 16, 2026 
Mike Masnick, founder of Techdirt and host of Otherwise Objectionable, is a Section 230 and tech policy expert. He traces how a minor law became a political battleground. He debunks myths about moderation, explains why repealing 230 would empower big platforms, and outlines legislative and user-driven alternatives to curb Big Tech power.
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Who Section 230 Actually Protects
- Section 230 places liability on the party who actually created or imbued content with unlawful elements, not on the tools that host it.
- Mike Masnick explains C1 covers publishing activity (hosting, removing) while C2's good-faith/moderation carveouts are narrower and rarely needed in court.
How Media Myth Made 230 Look Bad
- Misreporting and simplified narratives (e.g., Wired piece) flipped the truth: Section 230 enables moderation rather than discouraging it.
- Facebook's internal global moderation advice likely stemmed from foreign-law exposure, not U.S. 230 limits.
FOSTA-SESTA's Political Origin Story
- FOSTA-SESTA passed amid 'protect the children' rhetoric and lobbying by Cindy McCain and Hollywood interests.
- Masnick links that campaign to harms: it didn't stop trafficking and likely worsened outcomes while empowering large platforms.