Nihar Nuthikattu’s initial interest in Section 230 was kindled by following U.S. congressional hearings that included testimony from CEOs at major technology companies. A junior majoring in data science and economics at UC Berkeley, Nuthikattu said he was struck by “the stark asymmetry in technical acumen between lawmakers and digital platforms.”
Years later, Nuthikattu was considering potential research projects among the many options available to undergraduate students as part of the CDSS Data Discovery program.
He applied to participate in a project analyzing how courts interpret Section 230, a federal statute enacted as part of the Communications Decency Act. The law has been the source of frequent public debate due to the protections it provides online platforms and users, for example in the moderation of social media content.
“I chose this project to examine the legal foundations of platform immunity, particularly Section 230, and its implications for accountability, governance and innovation in today’s socio-technical landscape,” Nuthikattu said.