Section 230
Etymology
Refers to Section 230 of the US Communications Decency Act of 1996. Often called "the twenty-six words that created the internet," it lets platforms host user content without being treated as its publisher, and also moderate that content without thereby assuming liability.
noun phrase · /SEK-shun too-THUR-tee/
A US law that shields online platforms from liability for content their users post.
What it names
The legal foundation that made user-generated content — social media, reviews, comments — possible, and the statute at the heart of nearly every fight over online speech.
Example
The lawsuit failed because Section 230 shields the platform from responsibility for what its users wrote.
Related idea
Its protection is what makes enshittification possible without legal exposure: platforms can host and reshape user content freely, insulated from liability for it.