# Is this potentially the final straw? Please? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 27, 2020, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-potentially-the-final-straw-please/854569 "2020-05-27T22:16:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 29
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2020, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-potentially-the-final-straw-please/854569/29 "2020-05-28T22:06:34Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > [The Executive Order is out](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/28/trump-targets-social-media-with-executive-order-after-twitter-fact-checks-him.html). > > No text yet, but apparently the objective will be to revoke or repeal section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. An executive order alone most likely cannot do this,\*\* so legislation (probably also a non-starter) would be required.\*\* One thing the regime figures it CAN do is file nuisance lawsuits against any social media companies they deem worthy of harassment, and this has been promised by Att. Gen. William Bar (R-lapdog). > > So, blatant use of the Justice Department to harass entities deemed political opponents is the order of the day. Are we full banana republic yet? My bold. It’s already underway. > [@Stupid Republican idea of the day](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/44439): > > Republicans prepare legislation to strip Twitter of legal liabilities. > [https://thehill.com/policy/technology/499814-republicans-working-on-legislation-to-strip-twitter-of-federal-](https://thehill.com/policy/technology/499814-republicans-working-on-legislation-to-strip-twitter-of-federal-)… > protections From that link: > [@](#): > > …Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Wednesday separately announced they were both working on legislation to strip Twitter of federal protections that ensure the company is not held liable for what is posted on its platform. > > The lawmakers began work on legislation following Twitter’s decision to add warnings to two tweets by President Trump this week in which he railed against California’s decision to expand mail-in voting. Trump tweeted without evidence that mail-in voting could increase voter fraud. > > Both Hawley and Gaetz argued that Twitter’s decision to flag the tweets called its legal liability protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act into question. Section 230 protects social media platforms from facing lawsuits over what users post. > > Hawley sent a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey on Wednesday questioning why the platform should be given Section 230 protections and tweeted that he would soon introduce legislation to end “government giveaways” under the legal shield. > > “If @Twitter wants to editorialize & comment on users’ posts, it should be divested of its special status under federal law (Section 230) & forced to play by same rules as all other publishers,” Hawley tweeted. “Fair is fair.” > > Hawley questioned Dorsey on whether Twitter’s “fact check” was part of an effort to “target the President for political reasons” and raised concerns that Twitter fact-checkers were biased against Trump. > … ETA: I’m having a hard time keeping up… --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-potentially-the-final-straw-please/854569)._