Here's how 2 Utah lawmakers want to hold social media accountable for harmful algorithms

SALT LAKE CITY — A pair of Utah lawmakers in Washington are pushing to amend a nearly 30-year-old law governing online communications to hold technology companies accountable for harms caused by algorithmic recommendations on social media and other platforms.

Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, and Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Utah, introduced the Algorithm Accountability Act last week, which they say would update Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996. That section provides liability for platforms for third-party content posted on their sites by users, but Curtis said the law is outdated and was built for a “very different internet.”

“What began as a common sense protection for a fledgling industry has grown into a blanket immunity shield for some of the most powerful companies on the plan