Stay up to date with
Engine’s weekly newsletter:
NEWS FEED
Startup News Digest 08/07/20
The Big Story: FCC takes next step on Trump’s social media executive order. A federal agency this week moved ahead with a petition from the Trump administration that could open up liability for companies that host user content. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai said on Monday that the agency will receive public comments in response to President Donald Trump’s May executive order on “preventing online censorship” that pushes federal agencies to clarify the meaning of “good faith” content moderation under the law.
Section 230 back in the spotlight
TLDR: The Trump administration and policymakers are putting growing pressure on a bedrock Internet law that allows companies of all sizes to host and moderate user-generated content. Startups depend on this framework—known as Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—to grow without the fear of being sued into bankruptcy over the user-generated content they host and moderate. Weakening this law would have a disastrous effect on the Internet ecosystem.
Statement on the Limiting Section 230 Immunity to Good Samaritans Act
The Limiting Section 230 Immunity to Good Samaritans Act from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is a barely legible piece of legislation that would effectively ban all content moderation on Internet platforms.
Statement on Executive Order on Content Moderation
The White House’s executive order on “preventing online censorship” is a dangerous move that will encourage bad faith lawsuits, and dismantle the fundamental and commonsense legal framework that startups depend on to compete in today’s Internet ecosystem and keep their platforms free of objectionable content.
Trade agreements give startups certainty
When the United States negotiates trade agreements, it has the chance to give startups a similar legal framework abroad that they rely on domestically. This is critically important for smaller companies looking to effectively compete in an increasingly global ecosystem. While Congress still has the ability to update that digital legal framework as it sees fit, the inclusion of digital trade protections in trade agreements gives startups the certainty they need to compete globally.
Report: Nuts & Bolts of Content Moderation
In this report, and through a series of events in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2019, Engine and the Charles Koch Institute sought to unpack the nuts and bolts of content moderation. We examined what everyday content moderation looks like for Internet platforms and the legal framework that makes that moderation possible, debunked myths about content moderation, and asked attendees to put themselves in the shoes of content moderators.
Startup News Digest 11/2/18
A U.K. tax on online services. The British government has announced a new tax on the biggest companies offering online services in the United Kingdom. The tax, 2 percent of U.K. revenues, will be levied on companies with global revenues of $640 million or more starting in April 2020.
Engine Files Amicus Brief in La Park La Brea v. Airbnb
Last week, Engine filed an amicus brief in La Park La Brea v. Airbnb, a case pending before the Ninth Circuit that presents serious questions about the viability of Section 230 of the Communications Decency.
Engine's Statement on the Senate Passage of SESTA
Engine's Statement on the Senate Passage of SESTA
Engine's Statement on House Rules Committee Consideration of H.R. 1865
Engine's statement following the announcement from the House Committee on Rules to consider H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) on Monday, February 26th and the proposed amendment by Rep. Walters to include language from the Senate’s Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA)
Engine Supports Changes to House Sex Trafficking Bill
Sex trafficking is a heinous and tragic crime. It requires a thoughtful solution that gives prosecutors the tools they need to seek justice for victims and enables the private sector to assist in identifying and dealing with bad actors.
TechFreedom + Engine: How SESTA Fails to Counter Sex Trafficking
TechFreedom and Engine have teamed up to discuss how Sen. Portman and Blumenthal's bill will not solve the sex trafficking problem.
Engine Remains Opposed to the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act
Engine remains opposed to the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA).
Startups Weigh in on NAFTA Negotiations
58 startups signed a letter today to the Trump administration to urge any NAFTA renegotiation must preserve and promote the U.S. framework for creation and innovation.
Senators, Congressmen Agree: Need to Find “Common Ground” on CDA 230
Members of Congress & witnesses at recent committee hearings agree that drafted legislation can be improved to better achieve the shared goal of stopping sex trafficking online.
Testifying on Section 230
Tomorrow, our Executive Director Evan Engstrom will testify in front of a House subcommittee about the importance of a foundational Internet law and efforts to fight sex trafficking online.
What They Are Saying About The Importance of Protecting Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act
As Congress continues to debate Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and if it needs updating, we put together a guide of "What They Are Saying" about Section 230 and it's importance to the Internet ecosystem.
Our Takeaways from the Senate Hearing on SESTA
The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on a new bill aimed at making it easier to penalize websites and online services that facilitate sex-trafficking.
While much of the hearing focused on the bipartisan and unanimous agreement that sex-trafficking is a tragedy that needs to be addressed, some lawmakers and witnesses noted the potential unintended consequences of the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (S.1693) as currently drafted.
The Top Ten Myths about SESTA’s (S. 1693) Impact on Startups
As the Senate begins to consider the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 "SESTA," we have have tried to debunk some of the myths the bill's sponsors are saying about the legislation. Learn more about what you can do to protect Section 230 here.