SAN FRANCISCO — The internet is over.

That, at least, is what one might think reading reactions to a bill introduced in the Senate on Tuesday. U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and staunch ally of the tech industry, warned the legislation would take a “wrecking ball” to a “fundamental pillar” of the internet. The Internet Association, which represents web giants like Amazon and Google, predicted it would invite a “wave of frivolous and unpredictable” litigation against companies.

All the fuss has to do with the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act, or SESTA. The bill would amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and take away some of the immunity that user-driven internet platforms like Twitter, Yelp and the now-infamous Backpage.com have relied on as a trusty shield against both civil and criminal lawsuits. It's perhaps no surprise, then, than internet companies seem to invariably see this as a bad thing.