On Monday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill, SB 7072, designed to limit the scope of Big Tech companies and their influence in Florida. The bill will fine companies $250,000 per day if they censor or suspend accounts for political candidates, with Disney World being a notable exception.
“This session, we took action to ensure that ‘We the People’ — real Floridians across the Sunshine State — are guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley elites,” said DeSantis in a release. “Many in our state have experienced censorship and other tyrannical behavior firsthand in Cuba and Venezuela. If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable.”
The impetus for the bill stems from former President Donald J. Trump’s Twitter account being permanently suspended, along with many social media users seeing their accounts suspended due to questioning the efficacy of the COVID vaccine or contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election.
“Today, Floridians are being guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley power grab on speech, thought, and content,” DeSantis said on Twitter.
Today, Floridians are being guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley power grab on speech, thought, and content. We the people are standing up to tech totalitarianism with the signing of Florida’s Big Tech Bill. https://t.co/cDewFJiEPk
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 24, 2021
Earlier this month, Facebook’s Oversight Board, where Trump is permanently banned, decided to continue the ban but create a standard with reasoning as to why an account might be suspended.
Critics of the bill signing are saying the new law might be unconstitutional.
“The First Amendment prohibits the government from compelling or controlling speech on private websites,” said Carl Szabo, vice president and general counsel for NetChoice, a trade group representing large tech companies. “If this law could somehow be enforced, it would allow lawful but awful user posts including pornography, violence, and hate speech that will make it harder for families to safely navigate online.”
But DeSantis maintains the bill will ensure Floridians’ protection against the Big Tech companies suspending accounts.
This session, we took action to ensure that ‘We the People’ — real Floridians across the Sunshine State — are guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley elites,” DeSantis said. “If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable.”
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
