Last Updated on 02/05/2021 by Khushi
Both houses of Florida’s legislature have passed a controversial new bill that would prevent tech firms from deplatforming politicians.
Governor Ron DeSantis, a Trump ally, must now sign the bill. Platforms can delete accounts for up to 14 days under the law, and on not obeying the same would result in a penalty of $250,000 a day.
Critics, on the other hand, say that the legislation could have unintended consequences.”Imagine if the government forced a church to accept user-created comments or third-party ads supporting abortion on its social media page,” NetChoice CEO Steve DelBianco said last month while testifying against the bill.
“Just as it would be a violation of the First Amendment [guaranteeing the right to free speech], so would [this bill], because it would require social media sites to host content they would not tolerate otherwise.”
Despite the fact that the bill was approved by the state’s House and Senate on Thursday, it’s possible that tech firms will fight it in court, claiming that it violates the First Amendment rights of Americans.
