Announcing Otherwise Objectionable: A Podcast Series About The Most Misunderstood Law On The Internet
from the a-podcast-series-all-about-section-230 dept
At a time when Section 230 faces unprecedented threats from all sides — with both major political parties gunning for it, albeit for opposite reasons — understanding this crucial internet law has never been more important. That’s probably why our “Hello! You’ve Been Referred Here Because You’re Wrong About Section 230” post remains one of Techdirt’s most referenced articles.
So last year, when the Competitive Enterprise Institute approached me about hosting a documentary-style podcast exploring the past, present, and (hopefully) future of Section 230, I was understandably skeptical. After all, much of the discourse around 230 comes from people who fundamentally misunderstand it. But it quickly became clear that CEI truly grasped both the technical aspects and the broader implications of the law and shared my vision for the kind of deep, nuanced exploration this topic deserves.
The result is “Otherwise Objectionable: the most misunderstood law on the internet,” launching March 12th. The podcast format allows us to dig deep into the human stories behind Section 230 — both from those who shaped the law and those whose lives were shaped by it. Rather than just explaining the legal technicalities, we explore how this short statute enabled the creation of countless online communities and gave voice to millions who previously had none.
We’ve assembled an impressive array of voices: Chris Cox and Ron Wyden, the original authors of Section 230, walk us through not just what they wrote, but why they wrote it. Lawyers who fought in the earliest internet cases explain how the legal landscape evolved, both before and after 230’s passage. Yes, we also talk to a few critics of the law as well. And perhaps most importantly, we hear from people whose lives were transformed by the very online communities and services that 230 made possible — including one of my first online friends from the Usenet days.
For people who want to understand the importance of Section 230, the series should be invaluable. But even for those of you who think you already know all about Section 230, I promise you’ll learn something new (I certainly did in the process).
The trailer is available now on all major podcast platforms (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music), with the first full episode dropping next week. At a moment when Section 230’s future hangs in the balance, understanding its past has never been more crucial.
Filed Under: otherwise objectionable, section 230
Comments on “Announcing Otherwise Objectionable: A Podcast Series About The Most Misunderstood Law On The Internet”
Yeah, it needs to be renamed to Section 8.
Anyone worth mentioning? Or is it just people who are going to get dunked on for not understanding 230 before writing an OpEd on it, and set up as a foil
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No, Arianity, you’re not slated to appear on this podcast, I would guess.
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Didn’t ask to be.
But putting on a Gephardt or Angwin who haven’t done their basic homework isn’t going to be particularly insightful. Especially relative to Ron Wyden.
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They’re the same picture.
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If true, best way to show that is with a strong guest
The CEI? Really?
Why are you working with the CEI? They were a big player in climate change denial and still oppose green policies (such as by applauding Trump’s disastrous pullout from the Paris agreement), oppose net neutrality and antitrust, argued that the CFPB is unconstitutional, oppose right to repair, participated in Project 2025, support mergers, and are just generally scummy. They aren’t as bad as some on the right, but they’re not someone I ever would have expected Techdirt to work with.
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Do you have any sources for all those claims?
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From Wikipedia:
Also:
So yes, CEI is not a good group, just as dracofulmen has alleged.
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The Wikipedia article for the Competitive Enterprise Institute confirms dracofulmen’s claims regarding Project 2025, climate change denial, and net neutrality (they wrote an amicus brief for U.S. Telecom v. FCC in favor of U.S. Telecom). The CEI wrote an article called “Don’t let a government shutdown stop mergers”, made a Facebook video post titled [Why “Right to Repair” Legislation Isn’t Needed], wrote an open letter to Trump titled “Mr. President: Stop the Paris Climate Treaty” with the opening line being “Don’t listen to the Swamp”, and wrote an article called “With Inflation Rising, Why Punish Companies Seeking to Lower Prices?” supporting Amazon’s predatory pricing.
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But what parts of any of these did they throw their support behind?
It’s stupid of them, sure, but are you certain their actions weren’t just shortsighted business moves, and not a full-on endorsement of GOP nazism?
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I’m not very familiar with CEI in particular, but Techdirt has an unfortunate habit of working with known bad actors, as long as they facially seem to align on the particular issue.
Sources
Climate change denial: https://gizmodo.com/climate-deniers-try-to-fact-check-real-reporting-1849969052
Support for withdrawing from Paris: https://cei.org/blog/were-out-of-the-paris-agreement-again-how-trump-can-make-it-stick/
Project 2025: https://theintercept.com/2024/07/19/conservative-groups-abandon-project-2025/
Right to repair: https://cei.org/news_releases/ftc-lawsuit-against-john-deere-will-break-more-than-it-fixes-cei-analysis/
Attacks on the CFPB: https://cei.org/news_releases/trumps-pick-for-acting-cfpb-director-is-good-news-for-consumers-financial-innovation/
https://web.archive.org/web/20230410034345/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/think-tanked/post/competitive-enterprise-institute-files-lawsuit-against-obamas-consumer-watchdog/2012/06/22/gJQAjnPUvV_blog.html
Support for mergers: https://cei.org/blog/dont-let-a-government-shutdown-stop-mergers/
Net neutrality: https://cei.org/legal_brief/amicus-brief-united-states-telecom-association-v-fcc/
Antitrust (they advocate for the abolition of antitrust law): https://antitrust.cei.org/
I’ll believe in climate change when the leaders start driving electric cars, stop flying around the world in jets and move away from the beaches we now have.
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If you want to know what will affect you in the near future, look no further to how insurance companies changes their policies and premiums because in that sense they are 100% trustworthy compared to any politician or leader.