If websites are legally liable even for libellous comments made by users, then "anything remotely problematic" will include "any negative claim by anyone about any other person or company". Perhaps the author needs to read:
https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200531/23325444617/hello...
Imagine that every time someone reported a post on Facebook, or someone flagged a comment here on HN, that it had to go to a court/tribunal/government committee to decide if it should be taken down, if the platform should be punished, etc. It's just a total non-starter to even suggest that S230 be repealed. The entire interactive Internet depends on it.
I’m old enough to remember when internet company valuations had everyone wringing their hands asking, what is the mid sky-high valuation based on? Where is the _product_??!
Seriously, if at this point you are proposing removing the most common-sense rule of the Internet ("the one legally liable for making a post is the person who posted it, duh") upon which _every website with a comments section relies_, then I cannot assume you are debating in good faith.
I think shielding websites from liability for user comments is just a bad idea. Yes, it would probably mean the end of comments on the internet as we know it. That's the point of the article.
