Riaan 
INkantolo Ephakeme ngoLwesibili uzozwa izimpikiswano zomlomo phakathi I-Gonzalez vs. Google, icala eliphikisa ukuthi izinkampani zobuchwepheshe kufanele zibe nesibopho esisemthethweni sokuqukethwe okuyingozi okukhuthazwa ama-algorithms azo. Umndeni wakwaGonzalez ugomela ngokuthi ngokuncoma okuqukethwe okuhlobene ne-ISIS, i-YouTube ye-Google isebenze njengenkundla yokubuthela iqembu ngokwephula imithetho yase-US emelene nokusiza nokusiza amaphekula.
Okusengcupheni yiSigaba 230, umbandela owabhalwa ngo-1996, iminyaka ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwe-Google kanye nezikhondlakhondla zesimanje eziningi zobuchwepheshe, kodwa leyo izinkantolo eziyitholile iyazivikela ekubeni necala ngokuthunyelwe, izithombe namavidiyo abantu ababelana ngawo ezinsizeni zabo.
I-Google ithi iSigaba 230 siyasivikela ekuzibophezeleni ngokomthetho kwamavidiyo aboniswa ama-algorithms esincomo, nokuthi ukungavikeleki okunjalo kubalulekile ekhonweni lezinkampani zobuchwepheshe lokuhlinzeka ngokuqukethwe okuwusizo nokuphephile kubasebenzisi bazo.
Abameli bomndeni wakwaGonzalez bathi ukusebenzisa iSigaba 230 ezincomweni ze-algorithmic kukhuthaza ukuphromotha okuqukethwe okulimazayo, futhi kwenqabela izisulu ithuba lokufuna ukulungiswa lapho zingabonisa lezo zincomo ezibangele ukulimala noma ukufa.
Impi ewumphumela ine kwavela njengenduku yokukhanyisa yepolitiki ngenxa yemithelela yayo engaba khona ngekusasa lenkulumo eku-inthanethi. Ama-algorithms ezincomo ayisisekelo cishe kukho konke ukuxhumana abantu abanakho ku-inthanethi, kusukela eziphakamisweni zengoma ezingenacala ku-Spotify kuya ezenzweni ezimbi kakhulu zokujoyina amaqembu mayelana nemibono yozungu ku-Facebook.
Isigaba 230 “siyisihlangu okungekho muntu owakwazi ukusiphula,” uNitsana Darshan-Leitner, umongameli nomsunguli we I-Shurat HaDin, isikhungo sezomthetho sakwa-Israel esigxile ekumangaleleni izinkampani ezisiza amaphekula, kanye nomunye wabameli abamele umndeni wakwaGonzalez, engxoxweni. “Kunikeze izinkampani zenkundla yezokuxhumana inkolelo yokuthi azithinteki.”
Inkampani engumzali we-YouTube i-Google ilisusile ngempumelelo icala lomndeni wakwaGonzalez ezinkantolo eziphansi, iphikisa ngokuthi iSigaba 230 sivikela inkampani uma siveza ividiyo kulayini “Okulandelayo” ku-YouTube, noma uma sibeka isixhumanisi esisodwa ngaphezu kwesinye emiphumeleni yosesho.
Kodwa lokhu kunqoba kuqhamuke nokuphikisa kwamajaji athile aqavile athi izinkantolo ezincane zifunde kabanzi ukuvikelwa kweSigaba 230. “INkantolo Ephakeme kufanele ithathe incazelo efanele yeSigaba 230 futhi ilethe ukuhlakanipha nokufunda kwaso kulesi sihloko esiyinkimbinkimbi nesinzima,” kubhala iJaji uRonald M. Gould weNkantolo Yokudlulisa Amacala Yase-US Yesifunda Sesi-9.
Ummeli jikelele wakwaGoogle uHalimah DeLaine Prado uthe ukubuyekezwa kweNkantolo Ephakeme kuyingozi yokuvula yonke imboni yezobuchwepheshe ekuhlaselweni okusha kwamacala, okungenza kubize kakhulu ukuthi amanye amabhizinisi amancane namawebhusayithi asebenze. “Kudlula i-Google kuphela,” kusho uDeLaine Prado. “Kuwuthinta ngempela umbono wokuqamba okusha kwaseMelika.”
Icala liza phakathi kokukhathazeka okukhulayo kokuthi imithetho elawula i-inthanethi – iminyaka eminingi eyakhiwe ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwezinkundla zokuxhumana ezifana ne-Facebook, YouTube, Twitter noma i-TikTok – azikuhlomele ukwengamela iwebhu yesimanje. Osopolitiki kuzo zombili izinhlangothi bafuna ukwethula imithetho emisha yedijithali ngemuva kokuthi uhulumeni wase-US ethathe indlela enkulu yokulawula ubuchwepheshe kule minyaka engamashumi amathathu edlule. Kepha imizamo yokwenza imithetho emisha imile kuCongress, iphoqa izinkantolo kanye nezishayamthetho zombuso ukuthi zithathe lesi sigqoko.
Manje, iNkantolo Ephakeme kulindeleke ukuthi idlale indima ebaluleke kakhulu. Ngemuva kokulalela icala le-Google ngoLwesibili, amajaji azoqala ngoLwesithathu Twitter v. Taamnehelinye icala elethwe umndeni wesisulu sokuhlasela kwamaphekula othi izinkampani zenkundla yezokuxhumana zinesibopho sokuvumela i-Islamic State ukuthi isebenzise izinkundla zabo.
Futhi esikhathini esiqala ngo-Okthoba, inkantolo kungenzeka icabangele izinselelo a umthetho eFlorida lokho kungavimba izinkampani zenkundla yezokuxhumana ukuthi zimise osopolitiki, kanye umthetho ofanayo eTexas lokho kuvimbela izinkampani ekususeni okuqukethwe ngokusekelwe kumbono wepolitiki yomsebenzisi.
“Sisesikhathini lapho izinkantolo kanye nezishayamthetho zicubungula ukuthi ziyafuna yini ukuqhubeka nokusebenzisa i-inthanethi,” kusho uJeff Kosseff, uprofesa wezomthetho we-cybersecurity e-United States Naval Academy kanye nombhali wezincwadi. “Amagama Angamashumi Amabili Nesithupha Adala I-inthanethi.”
Isigaba 230 sakhiwe kulandela ukuqulwa kwecala nezinkampani ze-inthanethi zakuqala, lapho enye inkantolo ithola i-Prodigy Services inesibopho sokuphawula okwehlisa isithunzi esizeni sayo. Ngaleso sikhathi, amabhodi emiyalezo ayebusa kakhulu futhi abantu baseMelika babesanda kujoyina izinsizakalo ezifana neCompuServe, Prodigy, ne-AOL, okuvumela okuthunyelwe kwabo okungahloliwe ukuthi kufinyelele ezigidini.
Ngemuva kwalesi sinqumo, iCongress yangenelela ukuze iqinisekise ukuthi lesi sinqumo asivimbeli izinto ezintsha ku-inthanethi eyayisafufusa. Umphumela waba yiSigaba 230.
Ingxenye ebalulekile yeSigaba 230 inamagama angama-26 kuphela ubude futhi ithi ayikho inkundla yezobuchwepheshe “ezothathwa njengomshicileli noma isikhulumi sanoma yiluphi ulwazi olunikezwa ngomunye umhlinzeki wokuqukethwe wolwazi.”
Umthetho owawubonakala umsulwa, owawuyingxenye yoMthetho Wokuhlonipheka Kwezokuxhumana wango-1996, wathola ukunakwa kwabezindaba noma ukuduma lapho ubhalwa okokuqala. Nokho sekuya ngokushuba njengoba kuke kwadonseka ezimpini ezibanga ukuthi yikuphi okumele kuhlale ezinkundleni zokuxhumana.
Engxenyeni yeshumi leminyaka edlule, amalungu eCongress abeke phambili inqwaba yeziphakamiso zokuthi kuqedwe umthetho noma kudaleke imidwebo edinga ukuthi izinkampani zobuchwepheshe zibhekane nokuqukethwe okuyingozi, njengobuphekula noma ukuxhashazwa ngokocansi kwezinganeezinkundleni zabo.
Owake waba ngumongameli uDonald Trump kanye noMongameli Biden basigxekile lesi sinqumo, bathi asichithwe, kodwa ngezizathu ezahlukene. Amademokhrasi aphikisana kakhulu ngokuthi iSigaba 230 sivumela izinkampani zobuchwepheshe ukuthi zibambe iqhaza ngenkulumo enenzondo, ulwazi olunganembile nokunye okuqukethwe okuyizinkinga ezinkundleni zabo. AmaRiphabhulikhi, ngakolunye uhlangothi, asola izinkampani zehlisa okuqukethwe okuningi, futhi afune ukubhekana nezinsolo ezithathe isikhathi eside zokuchema kwezepolitiki embonini yezobuchwepheshe ngokushintsha ukunikezwa.
“Ingxenye yokuthi ‘kungani manje’ ukuthi sonke savuka ngemva kweminyaka engu-20, futhi i-intanethi ayinhle,” kusho uHany Farid, uprofesa eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, emcimbini wakamuva owenziwe yi-Brookings Institution.
Abanye abahluleli beNkantolo Ephakeme babonise intshisekelo ekhulayo yokubhekana nekusasa lenkulumo eku-inthanethi – nakuba kungeyona inselelo eqondile ecaleni lika-Gonzalez lezincomo ze-algorithmic. Ijaji leNkantolo Ephakeme uClarence Thomas ngo-2020 wathi “kufanele” inkantolo ithole icala elifanelekile lokubuyekeza Isigaba 230. Uphakamise ukuthi izinkantolo ziwuhumushe kabanzi umthetho ngokuthi “unikeze ukungavikeleki kwezinye zezinkampani ezinkulu emhlabeni.” Ngombono ka-2021, uThomas kuphakanyisiwe ukuthi ikhono lezinkundla zokuxhumana lokususa inkulumo lingaphakamisa ukwephulwa kweSichibiyelo Sokuqala, futhi nokulawulwa kukahulumeni kungase kuqinisekiswe.
Kodwa umbuzo obalulekile ku-Gonzalez – ukuthi ingabe abahlinzeki bayagonywa yini uma ama-algorithms abo eqondiswe futhi encoma okuqukethwe okuthile – bekungeyona into uThomas agxile kuyo. Yena kanye noJustice Samuel A. Alito Jr. baveze ukukhathazeka okwengeziwe ngezinqumo zabahlinzeki zokwehlisa okuqukethwe noma bavimbele izikhulumi. Lezo zindaba zizophakanyiswa ngokucace kakhudlwana lapho inkantolo ibhekana nemithetho evela eFlorida naseTexas enikeza lo mthethonqubo. Izinkantolo ezincane zihlukene phakathi mayelana nokuhambisana nomthethosisekelo kwemithetho, kanti inkantolo icele abaphathi beBiden ukuthi bacubungule ukuthi bayayibuyekeza yini imithetho.
U-Alito, ojoyinwe nguThomas kanye noJustice Neil M. Gorsuch, ngonyaka odlule bakwenza kwacaca ukuthi balindele ukuthi inkantolo ibuyekeze imithetho ekhuluma “amandla ezinkampani ezibusayo zenkundla yezokuxhumana ukubumba ingxoxo yomphakathi ngezindaba ezibalulekile zosuku.”
Abanye ochwepheshe bezomthetho bathi izishayamthetho eminyakeni yawo-1990 zazingakaze zilindele ukuthi i-intanethi yesimanje ingahlukunyezwa kanjani abadlali ababi, kuhlanganise namaphekula. Yona le Congress eyaphasisa iSigaba 230 nayo yaphasisa imithetho yokulwa nobushokobezi, kusho uMary B. McCord, umqondisi omkhulu weGeorgetown Law Center Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection ngesikhathi ekhuluma nezintatheli.
“Akunangqondo ukucabanga ukuthi uKhongolose ubecabanga ukunqamula isikweletu somphakathi ngokuphelele … kubantu abayizisulu zobuphekula ngesikhathi esifanayo bedlula iziphathimandla zomthetho ezivuselelwe futhi ezandisiwe ukulwa nobuphekula,” kusho yena.
Nokho abanye ochwepheshe bezomthetho bazwakalise ukungabaza ngendlela enzima yokulawulwa kwezobuchwepheshe. U-Kosseff, uprofesa wezomthetho we-cybersecurity, uxwayise i-push yokusebenzisa amandla kahulumeni ukubhekana nezinkinga nge-inthanethi kungenzeka “ibonakale ifushane impela.”
“Uma usunike uhulumeni amandla ngenkulumo, awubuyeli,” usho kanje.
‘Ukuthuthukisa i-inthanethi yesimanje’
Iningi lama-75 amicus briefs afakwe izinhlangano ezingenzi-nzuzo, izazi zezomthetho namabhizinisi avuna i-Google. Amaqembu noma abantu abathola uxhaso lwezimali oluvela ku-Google bakhiqize imibhalo emifushane engu-37 kanti abanye abayisishiyagalolunye bavela kwezinye izinkampani zobuchwepheshe ibhizinisi labo elizothintwa izinguquko zeSigaba 230, okuhlanganisa inkampani engumzali ye-Facebook i-Meta ne-Twitter.
Umfushane othunyelwe ababhali boqobo bokuhlinzekwa, uSen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) kanye nowayenguMmeli u-Christopher Cox, baphikisa iSigaba 230, njengoba saklanywa ekuqaleni, sivikela izincomo ezihlosiwe. U-Wyden no-Cox bathi izinhlelo zokuncoma ezisetshenziswa yi-YouTube namuhla azihlukile kangako kuzinkundla zezinqumo ezazithathwa ngesikhathi kubhalwa u-230.
“Bayinzalo eqondile yemizamo yokuqala yokulungiswa kokuqukethwe iCongress eyayicabanga ngayo lapho yenza iSigaba 230,” babhala.
Kepha abaphathi beBiden bahlangene, okungenani ngokwengxenye, ne Gonzalez abamangali. Nakuba iSigaba 230 sivikela i-YouTube ngokuvumela okuqukethwe kwe-ISIS kusayithi, uhulumeni uthi, ukuncoma okuqukethwe ngokusebenzisa ama-algorithms nezinye izici kudinga ukuhlaziywa okuhlukile, ngaphandle kokuvikeleka okuphelele.
I-Google iyakuphikisa ukuthi izincomo ziyizincomo. “Izincomo ze-algorithms yizo ezenza kube nokwenzeka ukuthola izinaliti endaweni enkulu kunazo zonke yesintu,” kusho u-Google etshela inkantolo. “Njengoba cishe wonke umuntu uncike emiphumeleni ye-inthanethi eklanyelwe, iSigaba 230 siyi-Atlas esekela i-inthanethi yesimanje – njengoba nje iCongress yacabanga ngo-1996.”
UFarid washo lokho ku Gonzalez icala, amajaji abhekene nezinkinga eziningi embonini yezobuchwepheshe ezivele kule minyaka eyishumi edlule. Uthe liyakhula ukuphuthuma ukubhekana nezingozi eziku-inthanethi njengoba ubuchwepheshe bukhula ngesivinini, ikakhulukazi njengoba kusanda kukhula ubuhlakani bokwenziwa.
“Sidinga ukwenza kangcono esikhathini esizayo,” kusho uFarid. “Kufanele siphume ngaphambi kwalezi zinkinga futhi singalindi zize zibe zimbi kakhulu bese siqala ukusabela ngokweqile.”
