United States of America: Introduction of Civil Rights Modernization Act in U.S. House of Representatives

On 13 May 2021, the Civil Rights Modernization Act (H.R. 3184) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. On the same day, it was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The bill, if put into law, would make platform providers liable for violations of civil rights law in targeted advertising. Currently, section 230 of the Telecommunications Act states that no internet service provider can be held liable for the actions or speech of third parties. The proposed bill would add an exemption to section 230 by creating an obligation for platforms to apply and enforce civil rights laws in the area of targeted advertising.