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Yahoo Finance News: Sinan Aral Responds to Social Media Order

May 29, 2020

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MIT IDE Director, Sinan Aral, @sinanaral was featured on the @YahooFinance On The Move program on May 29  to discuss the implications of the controversial new Social Media Executive Order drafted by President Trump to limit protections for social media companies. Aral’s bottom line? “It’s not the right path and will certainly face (and likely be struck down by) legal challenges.” The order challenges social media platforms to oversee posts on their websites. 

Aral says he anticipated this type of move based on research for his new book, The Hype Machine, due out in September.  “The Trump administration telegraphed this executive order over the last year or so,”  he says. “This order essentially gives the FCC the power to decide whether companies should be afforded Section 230 protection.” Aral believes that Congress and the courts should be arbitors on these matters, not a politically appointed panel.

Watch the interview here.