Section 230

Section 230 is a provision of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (codified at 47 U.S.C. § 230) that shapes liability for online platforms in the United States. Its core clause, Section 230(c)(1), states that no provider or user of an "interactive computer service" shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of information provided by another user. In practice, this means platforms are generally not legally liable for content their users post. A second clause, 230(c)(2), offers "Good Samaritan" protection so platforms can moderate or remove objectionable content in good faith without becoming liable for what they leave up.

For Reddit, Section 230 is foundational: it allows the company and its volunteer moderators to host and curate vast amounts of user-generated content without facing liability as the author of every post and comment. Section 230 is not absolute; it does not shield platforms from federal criminal law, intellectual property claims, or, since 2018, sex-trafficking liability under FOSTA-SESTA. The statute remains one of the most debated laws governing the internet, with proposals across the political spectrum to amend or repeal it over concerns about both harmful content and alleged censorship.