CCIA also raised its eyebrows over a highly controversial provision in the bill that exempts the websites of theme park operators, which some critics have interpreted as a special carve-out for Dis…
By Brian Fung| CNN Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis took a swipe at Big Tech on Monday as he signed a hot-button state bill targeting how digital platforms moderate online content. The legislation marks one of the biggest steps yet by a Republican governor to act on allegations of online censorship at the hands of companies such as Facebook, Google and Twitter. But tech industry critics say the legislation is unconstitutional, setting the stage for a court battle over the law. In public remarks on Monday, DeSantis blamed a “council of censors” in Silicon Valley for shutting down debate over Covid-19 lockdowns and the origins of the coronavirus. “I would say those lockdowns have ruined millions of people’s lives all around this country,” DeSantis said. “Wouldn’t it have been good to have a full debate on that in our public square? But that was not what Silicon Valley wanted to do.” The bill DeSantis signed prohibits tech platforms from suspending or banning political candidates in the state, with possible fines of $250,000 per day if the de-platformed candidate is seeking statewide office and $25,000 per day if the candidate is running for a non-statewide office.
