Florida Governor Ron De Santis slammed big tech companies on Tuesday, blasting them for their tyrannical approach to free speech, and the amount of censorship they impose on ordinary citizens.
In do doing, he announced legislation in Florida that would curb the political bias of big tech companies, particularly social media platforms, banning their ability to censor political candidates in his state.
De Santis said that "Floridians should have the privacy of their data and personal information protected, their ability to participate in online platforms protected, and their ability to to participate in elections free from interference from big tech protected."
"What began as a group of upstart technology companies from the west coast has since transformed into an industry of monopoly communications platforms that monitor, influence and control the flow of information in our country and among our citizens and they do that to an extent hitherto unimaginable."
De Santis went on to say that "At the turn of the 21st century online technology represented tools to liberate Americans from reliance on distrusted legacy media outlets. Social media proliferated over the last decade, citizens could directly connect with large numbers of people and could cut out corporate media outlets entirely.
"Over the years, however," De Santis said, "these outlets have changed from neutral platforms that provided Americans to speak to enforcers of preferred narratives."
The initiative, per Breitbart, would allow social media users to opt-out from content filters that use AI to deliver specific content to specific users. It would allow Florida residents to take action against tech companies that do now allow them to opt-out.
Fines of up to $100,000 could be levied against tech companies for every day that they disallow candidates for Florida's elected offices from using their platforms. Fines would additionally be levied against a tech company "that uses their content and user-related algorithms to suppress or prioritize the access of any content related to a political candidate or cause on the ballot."
There are requirements for greater transparency, as well as disclosure requirements that will be enforced for election officials if social media companies show favor to one candidate over another. The state's Unfair and Deceptive Practices Act would be brought to bear against any tech companies that violate the conditions of the new initiative.
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