Depending on who you ask, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is either an existential threat to US democracy or the only bulwark that can uphold free speech on the internet.
Passed in 1996, 230 prevents internet companies from being held responsible for what people post and share. For two decades, it was an obscure part of online life. Then, as concerns arose over the power of online platforms, 230 became a target of bipartisan hostility 2/
Democrats argue that Section 230 lets companies get away with doing too little moderation; Republicans tend to say it lets them get away with too much. There may be just enough bipartisan overlap for reform legislation to make it through Congress 3/
While some of the people who want to repeal it don’t know what they’re talking about, the law’s most ardent supporters—who insist alterations to 230 would bring the internet crashing down—can be full of it too 4/
Consider our neighbors to the North. Canada has nothing analogous to Section 230, and its libel law is more pro-plaintiff because it doesn’t have the strong protections of the First Amendment. But user-generated content there? Still alive and well 5/
We’re probably too far into the Internet Age to ditch Section 230 and let the courts figure it all out from scratch, so the question becomes how to change the law to address its worst side effects without placing internet companies under impossible legal burdens 6/
In this subscriber-exclusive, @GiladEdelman traces 230’s history—how it’s been interpreted and misinterpreted over the years. The picture that emerges is very different from the one painted by either side of the kill-it-or-keep-it debate 7/ wired.trib.al/5rpJMkk
Not a subscriber? Sign up here for less than $1 per month and get unlimited access our longform features and tech news 8/ wired.trib.al/BMxcvqp
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It's often referred to as the “McDonald’s of psychotherapy.” Vastaamo is the largest network of private mental health providers in Finland, a country with a population of about 5.5 million. 1/ wired.trib.al/vv5Fagr
A security flaw in Vastaamo’s IT systems exposed its entire patient database to the open internet—not just email addresses and social security numbers, but the actual patient notes written by their therapists.
Artist palette: Mark Harris 2/
30,000 former patients are believed to have received ransom demands from the hackers who breached the class B system; leading 25,000 of them to report the attempted extortion to the police. 3/
Whether you'll be celebrating #MothersDay safely in person or over Zoom, this list is full of good picks on gifts that WIRED reviewers recommend for last minute shoppers: wired.trib.al/Qy2dXNJ
If you buy something using our links, WIRED may earn a commission. 1/
.@fitbit Charge 4 for $100 ($50 off) - This is the best fitness tracker. It may be affordable, but that doesn't stop the Charge 4 from packing in features you'd typically find in much pricier gadgets. This deal is a match of the best we've seen: wired.trib.al/QAFI3dR 2/
.@1MoreGlobal ColorBuds Wireless Earbuds for $80 ($20 off) - This deal has been running for a couple of weeks, but it's still a good one. These headphones strike a good balance between being affordable, attractive, and sounding great! wired.trib.al/OkQg6bv 3/
#MothersDay is almost here! Here are our favorite gift ideas to help them work from home, keep their coffee warm, or go out running with their kids: wired.trib.al/egk0vBL
If you buy something using our links, WIRED may earn a commission. 1/
Forget about regular slippers. Teva upgraded their iconic ugly-cool shoes with recycled, quick-drying webbing and a more durable rubber outsole: wired.trib.al/PwwzteY
📷 : Teva 2/
If your mom doesn't already have a pair of Bluetooth headphones, the 1More ColorBuds are the best ones to gift her: wired.trib.al/tfmr8B9
📷 : 1More 3/
As an effort to go beyond publishing a traditional photo book, photographer, Kadir Van Lohuizen’s goal is to bring more awareness to the water crisis and depict what Henk Ovink, calls “the fine line between the power of nature and human hope.” 1/ wired.trib.al/J7P4HYo
With the melting ice caps in Greenland as the catalyst for rising waters and the aftermath of their destruction, coupled with the complacency of governments, people around the world struggle in unlivable conditions. 2/
The city of Jakarta is sinking at a rate between 15 and 25 centimeters a year and floods during high tides. Residents use sandbags in the hopes of preventing the water from coming into their houses.
📷: Kadir Van Lohuizen/NOOR 3/
Sick of opaque ad tracking and don't feel like you have a handle on it? The latest IOS update puts the control back in your hands, literally. wired.trib.al/EmZoKbQ 1/
Last week, Apple announced the IOS 14.5 update. Now, all of your apps will have to ask in a pop-up: Do you want to allow this app to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites? For once, your answer can be no. 2/
This new feature allows you to grant the privilege to certain apps and expose how many apps participate in cross-service ad tracking, including some you may not have suspected. 3/
Cleaning can sometimes feel like a waste of time, but it should never be a waste of resources. Here’s a list of our favorite eco-friendly cleaning products. If you buy something using our links, WIRED may earn a commission. wired.trib.al/Sxq4p38 1/
Our top pick is Supernatural. Might be a bit pricey, but you get what you pay for. The products smell amazing—like fresh botanicals, not artificial or chemical like other cleaning solutions. The bottles are made of glass and the nozzles don't clog. wired.trib.al/XHbfpsW 2/
Ditch the paper towels. Marley's Monsters Unpaper Towels are the way to go. These bright cotton flannel towels are durable and really absorbent. Much like paper alternatives, you can roll them up on a cardboard tube. wired.trib.al/vKFSbHR 3/