Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire DeSantis Signs Bill to Stop Big Tech Censorship of Floridians

Florida Governor makes another move against the communists.

“We will be the first state to hold Big Tech accountable,” DeSantis said at a press conference.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/mkt_morningbrief/desantis-signs-bill-to-stop-big-tech-censorship-of-floridians_3827083.html?utm_source=Morningbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=mb-2021-05-25&mktids=b08d9b6bb5455832ab8138455a087f2a&est=zsJCLedO0iV5usl1nlffvs7dFUlTFszRBXfW9jzWjFeMN3yg0xyAgHCLHhs%3D


BY BOWEN XIAO May 24, 2021 Updated: May 24, 2021

MIAMI—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed into law a bill—the first of its kind in the United States—allowing Floridians to sue Big Tech platforms.

A number of free speech advocates, including Cuban and Venezuelan exiles, state senators, and deplatformed influencers, stood behind DeSantis as he made the announcement at Florida International University on May 24.

Courts may award up to $100,000 in damages to an individual if a social media platform censors or shadowbans a user’s content, deplatforms a user, or if it hasn’t applied censorship or deplatforming standards in a consistent manner, according to the text of the bill.

“We will be the first state to hold Big Tech accountable,” DeSantis said at a press conference. “They are exerting a power that really has no precedent in American history.”


Big tech companies that violate the bill, SB 7072 Social Media Platforms, can be sued by Floridians for monetary damages. The state’s attorney general can bring action against companies that violate this law under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.

As an example, the governor mentioned that people were deplatformed for discussing the Wuhan lab leak theory regarding the origins of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, whereas now that theory has become a topic of mainstream discussion.

“2021 looks more like the fictitious 1984,” the governor said.



The law also blocks Big Tech from deplatforming Floridian political candidates. The Florida Election Commission will impose fines of $250,000 per day on any social media company that deplatforms any candidates for statewide office. The fine is $25,000 per day when deplatforming candidates for other offices.

While Floridians have the right to block anyone, it’s not the role of Big Tech to censor, said DeSantis.

“SB 7072 is a bold first step to reining in Big Tech tyranny by defending the rights of all Floridians in the digital space,” DeSantis said. “Over the years, these platforms have changed from neutral platforms that provide Americans with the freedom to speak to enforcers of preferred narratives.

“Florida is the first state to hold Big Tech accountable by empowering each and every Floridian silenced by arbitrary corporate censorship to fight back. This is a groundbreaking bill that protects Floridians from Silicon Valley’s power grab.”

If social media platforms are found to have violated antitrust law, they’ll be restricted from contracting with any public entity. That “antitrust violator” blacklist imposes real consequences for Big Tech oligopolies’ bottom line. According to DeSantis, the law will also require social media companies to be transparent about their content moderation practices and give users proper notice of changes to those policies.

According to Florida state, the new law will likely be able to withstand legal challenges, as it contains language that explains how Big Tech companies are different from other corporations, and that Section 230 requires companies to act in good faith—something the governor accuses Big Tech of not always following.

Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez said at the same conference that “Florida is taking back the virtual public square as a place where information and ideas can flow freely.”

“Many of our constituents know the dangers of being silenced or have been silenced themselves under communist rule,” she said.

“Thankfully, in Florida we have a Governor that fights against big tech oligarchs that contrive, manipulate, and censor if you voice views that run contrary to their radical leftist narrative.”

Florida won’t be the only state enacting such a law, according to DeSantis.

“We are seeing other states now following suit,” he said. “It starts in Florida but it doesn’t end in Florida.”

The more he does, the better I like him

"While Floridians have the right to block anyone, it’s not the role of Big Tech to censor, said DeSantis."

Bingo! That statement by DeSantis cuts right to the core of the issue. The very idea of censorship on the basis of ideas expressed is repulsive to the American ideal. Individuals are then free to listen or not listen to the speech of others.

We have the BEST governor in America!

DeSantis is awesome! We are VERY happy and proud of him!!!

Wonder if he has presidential aspirations?

He probably does, but has not spoken about it.

He needs to remain Florida's Governor for at least two terms.

I would support him for that.

The only thing he's done that annoyed me was supporting the CDC's illegal eviction moratorium. Where was the CDC ever granted authority to control private ownership and rental of real estate? Complete overreach.

Far from perfect. Same on his Israel position.

Hmmm. It will be interesting watching those laws stand up to a vigorous constitutional test.

Hmmm. Funny how there was no test of the censorship and ignoring 1st Amendment rights.

I’m glad to see somebody try to combat this insanity.

They won’t.

Particularly after they pack the court with Marxists to join with the three Marxists on there now.

If they can force a religious baker to make a gay dong cake or whatever it was, why couldn't they make the Commie twat who runs Twitter allow other viewpoints? I don't get the distinction.

Nor does any reasonable person. Twitter, YouTube, etc., should be forced to, as it were, "bake our cakes."

Supreme kangaroos ruled in favor of the baker.

It's a good start, so we'll see if it can stand up.

If not, what then? They keep getting away with what they've been doing, absent any Federal level legislation?

MM

Florida is the model right now

Who is "they"?

SCOTUS backed the bakery, if you mean the legal system.