In a recent appearance on CNN, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasized the urgent need for social media companies to take responsibility for the content shared on their platforms. She warned that without proper moderation, “we lose total control.”
Clinton pointed to some state-level initiatives, noting, “We can look at the state of California, the state of New York, I think some other states have also taken action.” However, she expressed disappointment with Congress, stating, “But we need national action, and sadly, our Congress has been dysfunctional when it comes to addressing these threats to our children.”
The former Secretary of State believes that the issue of social media regulation should be “at the top of every legislative political agenda.” She specifically called for the repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Act, which currently shields online platforms from liability for third-party content. Clinton explained, “we should be, in my view, repealing something called Section 230, which gave, you know, platforms on the internet immunity because they were thought to be just pass-throughs, that they shouldn’t be judged for the content that is posted.”
She further elaborated, “But we now know that that was an overly simple view, that if the platforms, whether it’s Facebook or Twitter/X or Instagram or TikTok, whatever they are, if they don’t moderate and monitor the content, we lose total control.” Clinton added, “And it’s not just the social and psychological affects, it’s real life.”
To ensure accountability, Clinton argued that social media companies should have their immunity stripped to allow for the implementation of “guardrails.”
In addition to her views on social media, Clinton advocated for stricter cellphone policies in schools. “Take phones out of schools,” she urged, expressing satisfaction with states like Florida and California that have begun to adopt such measures. She noted, “I’m so happy to see schools beginning to do that, where the kids turn their phone in when they walk in the door.”
Clinton concluded by highlighting the positive impact of these policies, stating, “And guess what? Kids are paying better attention in class.” She reminisced about the social interactions that have returned to school life, saying, “They are talking to each other in the lunchroom, things that used to be part of your daily life when you were a child in school.”
In a previous appearance on MSNBC, Clinton suggested that individuals accused of spreading “propaganda” related to former President Trump during U.S. elections should face civil or criminal charges, referencing her own experience in the contentious 2016 election.
