Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), along with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Ranking Member Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), has introduced the Sunset Section 230 Act. This bipartisan legislation proposes to repeal Section 230 immunity two years after the bill’s enactment, enabling individuals harmed by online platforms to seek legal recourse against those platforms.
Grassley stated, “For nearly 30 years, Section 230 has provided Big Tech cover as they turn a blind eye to heinous crimes committed on its platforms. As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I’m glad to join my colleagues in this bipartisan effort to update our nation’s laws, rein in Section 230 and hold Big Tech accountable.”
Graham commented on the broad support for repealing Section 230: “I am extremely pleased that there is such wide and deep bipartisan support for repealing Section 230, which protects social media companies from being sued by the people whose lives they destroy. Giant social media platforms are unregulated, immune from lawsuits and are making billions of dollars in advertising revenue off some of the most unsavory content and criminal activity imaginable. It is past time to allow those who have been harmed by these behemoths to have their day in court.”
Durbin added concerns about child safety: “Children are being exploited and abused because Big Tech consistently prioritizes profits over people. Enough is enough. Sunsetting Section 230 will force Big Tech to come to the table and take ownership over the harms it has wrought. And if Big Tech doesn’t, this bill will open the courtroom to victims of its platforms. Parents have been begging Congress to step in, and it’s time we do so. I’m proud to partner with Senator Graham on this effort, and we will push for it to become law.”
The bill also includes cosponsors from both parties: Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). All are members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Section 230 was enacted as part of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 and grants legal immunity for third-party content posted on online platforms. Originally intended to help new internet companies host user content without fear of litigation, many current technology firms now use this provision as protection from liability.
In addition, Grassley led two Senate Judiciary Committee hearings in 2025 focused on online safety issues including child exploitation, collaborating with Durbin on three bipartisan bills aimed at holding violent online criminals accountable.
