US President Donald Trump has again lashed out at the 2021 National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA), vowing that he will not "stand by and watch this travesty of a bill happen without reigning in Big Tech", an apparent nod to Amazon, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft.
"End Section 230 now, before it is too late. So bad for our Country. Show courage, and do what's right!!!", the president tweeted on Saturday.
Our $740 defense bill is a gift to China, Russia & Big Tech. It fails to terminate the internationally dangerous Section 230, won’t allow us to bring our troops back home (where they belong), renames & destroys our forts & National Monuments, & makes 5G almost impossible! https://t.co/txJle9Ezlg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020
I will not stand by and watch this travesty of a bill happen without reigning in Big Tech. End Section 230 now, before it is too late. So bad for our Country. Show courage, and do what’s right!!! https://t.co/V99lShpLCe
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2020
Section 230 is part of the nation's internet legislation known as the Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996, which protects internet companies from liability for the content they host. Trump earlier claimed that Section 230 "facilitates the spread of foreign disinformation online".
Saturday's remarks by POTUS come a couple of days after he delivered on his past threats to veto the $740 million defence bill, stating he declines to greenlight the NDAA, because, according to him, it "would put the interests of the Washington, DC, establishment over those of the American people".
"Unfortunately, the act fails to include critical national security measures, includes provisions that fail to respect our veterans and our military's history, and contradicts efforts by my administration to put America first in our national security and foreign policy actions", the president pointed out in a statement to Congress.
The move was followed by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi making it plain that the chamber will vote early next week on whether to override Trump's veto.
