With Section 230 under threat, Otherwise Objectionable tells the true story of the most misunderstood law on the internet

Section 230, the foundational law that governs defamation liability online, has been under attack by partisans on both the left and the right in recent years. A story published by the New York Post over the weekend claims that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Chair Brendan Carr is “taking the first steps in eroding key legal protection enjoyed by” large technology companies, a reference to Section 230. The article goes on to say that the FCC is planning to issue an “advisory opinion” that would “change the prior guidance that has given those expansive protections” under the law.

With Section 230 facing threats from powerful agencies and actors across the political spectrum, CEI is launching Otherwise Objectionable, a new, limited series podcast hosted by Techdirt’s Mike Masnick. Through deep research, professional storytelling, and narrative-driven first person interviews, Otherwise Objectionable explores the origins of America’s tech boom and takes the deepest approach yet to reporting on the story behind Section 230, including the backlash from the political left and right.

Masnick brings you inside the making of Section 230 featuring witnesses to Silicon Valley’s Wild West era, talks to the then-Congressmen who wrote the law, and innovators who benefited from its balance of innovation and responsibility. Why do Democrats and Republicans both hate this law, how does the rest of the world deal with these issues, and how can it be used to take on new challenges like A.I.?

Otherwise Objectionable debuts in March and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music and other podcast apps. Subscribe today!

Listen to the trailer for Otherwise Objectionable.