Sunset Section 230 Act

Summary

Repeals section 230 of the Communications Act, removing the federal legal immunity that online platforms have for third‑party content and for many content‑moderation decisions. The bill also makes many conforming amendments across federal law to remove or replace references that depend on section 230; those changes take effect two years after the law is enacted. Removing section 230 would change legal exposure for websites, apps, and hosting services, likely increasing litigation risks and prompting changes in how platforms host, remove, or moderate user content. The statutory edits affect a wide range of federal statutes (communications, trademark, copyright, criminal law, tax, and others) and could have broad operational and legal consequences for platforms, users, small businesses, nonprofits, and courts.

• Repeals section 230 of the Communications Act, removing a major federal immunity for online platforms regarding third‑party content and some moderation actions.
• Makes conforming amendments across many federal statutes to remove or change language that depended on section 230.
• Effective two years after enactment, giving a statutory transition period before the repeal takes effect.
• Does not create a replacement immunity regime in the text; removal of section 230 would rely on other laws and courts to define liability going forward.
• Likely increases litigation risk for online platforms and service providers, which may change moderation, hosting, or business models.
• Small platforms, startups, nonprofits, and businesses that rely on online intermediaries could face higher costs and reduced access to distribution.
• Courts and federal agencies may face increased caseloads and interpretive questions as statutes that referenced section 230 are applied without it.
• No direct appropriations or new federal funding are included; potential compliance or enforcement costs are not funded by the bill.
• Conforming changes touch a wide range of statutory areas, including communications, trademark, copyright, criminal law, and federal agency statutes.