At Alphabet Inc.’s June 7 shareholder meeting, John Simpson of Consumer Watchdog, a nonprofit that advocates for consumer interests, asked Alphabet and its subsidiary, Google, to back a change in an internet law that would allow victims of online sex trafficking to hold certain websites accountable. Kent Walker, senior vice president and general counsel at Google Inc., responded that the company wouldn’t back the proposed change, adding that Congress got it right when creating the law.
For companies that rely on third-party content, Section 230 has provided pivotal protection. And for at least one other in-house lawyer besides Walker, any proposed change to the law is concerning.
