Sunset Section 230 Act
Sponsored By: Senator Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
Introduced
Summary
The bill would repeal Section 230 of the Communications Act, removing the federal safe-harbor that shields online platforms from liability for third-party content.
Show full summary
It phases in the change with a two-year delay before the repeal and all related amendments take effect.
- Online platforms: Removes federal legal protections tied to third-party content, exposing platforms to liability and to federal provisions that previously relied on Section 230.
- Libraries and educational institutions: Redefines "interactive computer service" to explicitly include services operated by libraries and schools, bringing them within the amended definitions.
- Federal statutes and enforcement: Rewrites cross-references and definitions across many laws including the Communications Act, the Trademark Act, Title 17 and Title 18 of the U.S. Code, the Webb-Kenyon Act, Title 28, Title 31, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to replace Section 230 references and adjust specific exemptions and definitions.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 6 mixed.
End federal immunity for online platforms
This bill would repeal the federal law that shields online platforms from many lawsuits. The repeal and its related technical changes would take effect two years after enactment. If enacted, platforms and services that host other people’s posts could face more litigation and legal risk. That could change how platforms moderate, remove, or display user content and affect people who rely on online services.
New definition of online services
This bill would change the legal definition of an "interactive computer service." The new definition would cover services that let multiple users access a server, explicitly including services that provide Internet access and those run by libraries or schools. The change would take effect two years after enactment. If enacted, this would change which companies and organizations are treated as covered services and face related legal rules and risks.
Change legal references to online rules
This bill would update many federal laws so they no longer point to the old online immunity rule and instead point to other communications provisions. Affected laws include several criminal provisions, trademark and banking definitions, and other statutes named in the bill. These conforming edits would take effect two years after enactment. If enacted, courts and agencies would read different code citations and that could change how some laws apply to online services.
Remove deletion exceptions for platforms
This bill would strike language in several federal statutes that said deleting another person’s content "consistent with" the old immunity rule does not count as altering content. The specific edits remove that deletion exception in certain recordkeeping and controlled-substances provisions. The change would take effect two years after enactment. If enacted, platforms could face more legal risk for removing or altering posts in those specific legal contexts.
Strike subsection in copyright law
This bill would remove subsection (g) of a provision in federal copyright law. The change would take effect two years after enactment. If enacted, the deletion would alter the statutory text that affects copyright recordkeeping or liability rules. That could affect rights holders and services that store or handle copyrighted material.
Change court language on defamation
This bill would change wording in a federal statutory construction provision so the language is shortened and ends with the word "defamation." It would also strike a related subsection. These edits would take effect two years after enactment. If enacted, courts and lawyers would read the law differently in some defamation cases.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]
SC • R
Cosponsors
Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
IL • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]
IA • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI]
RI • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Hawley, Josh [R-MO]
MO • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]
TN • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Sen. Moody, Ashley [R-FL]
FL • R
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Peter Welch
VT • D
Sponsored 12/17/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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