The News Media Alliance applauds Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) for the release of the discussion draft of his proposed Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) reform bill, which includes proposals that would help news publishers protect their online content and facilitate payment from the tech platforms.
The First Amendment enshrines fundamental freedoms so core to our democracy that they must be honored. But the First Amendment has limits, and non-government entities that are granted the ability and power to spread speech must not be immune to the repercussions of their actions. The most powerful market actors should not be allowed to censor or silence free speech, or promote false, potentially harmful information with no accountability.
The last several days, journalists have been risking their lives to report on the ground at the scenes of protests across the country in response to the death of George Floyd. These journalists are serving a critical role in providing information the public needs to know in order to stay informed about what is happening in their communities, as well as to keep them and their families safe.
The News Media Alliance commends the U.S. Copyright Office for its comprehensive report on Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. We are pleased to notice that the report acknowledges that the intended balance of the safe harbor system created by Section 512 is currently “askew” and that the system might facilitate at least some activities and service providers that Congress did not intend to protect.
