Staff Reports
Again, Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida, has succeeded. In what can only be described as a whirlwind of legislative success, DeSantis has signed a slew of bills aimed at protecting Floridians from the scourge of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) scores, expanding school choice, and curbing critical race theory and other leftist ideologies in Florida's classrooms. And now, DeSantis has signed a Digital Bill of Rights that promises to protect Floridians from the tyranny of Big Tech and their suppression of conservative voices.
DeSantis Signs ‘Digital Bill of Rights’ Law to Protect Floridians Against Big Tech Censorship https://t.co/T3anFBtqGU
— RedState (@RedState) June 8, 2023
What implications does this Digital Bill of Rights have for Floridians? It grants them the right to control their confidential data, including the right to confirm, access, and delete such data from social media platforms. Additionally, it ensures that their confidential information will not be used against them when purchasing a home, acquiring health insurance, or seeking employment. Moreover, the law grants Floridians the right to know how search engines manipulate search results and the right to opt out of having their personal data sold. The law also aims to safeguard minors against the collection of personal information.
However, people, this is not all. The new law also prohibits government-led censorship by prohibiting state or local government employees from conspiring with Big Tech firms to censor protected speech. The definition of personal information under the Florida Information Protection Act is also expanded to include biometric data and geolocation information.
At the core of this new law is the notion that Floridians should have control over their own personal information. Big Tech companies have been conspiring to steal your data and sell it or use it against you, and it is your right to protect it. Big Tech oligarchs will no longer be able to seize control of your personal data and deny you the right to access, affirm, or delete it as you see fit.
Big Tech's censorship has become an enormous issue that has poisoned public policy debates, impacted elections, canceled countless Americans, and swayed societal discourse in the direction Big Tech prefers, among numerous other negative effects. Due to Big Tech's ability to buy off lobbyists and form special interest groups, attempts to curtail Big Tech censorship at the federal level have been met with stiff opposition. Fortunately, states have sovereignty, and the United States has a rich history of state innovation on such matters. In the near future, a national Digital Bill of Rights could become a reality, with Florida serving as a model.
DeSantis and Florida are leading the charge against Big Tech censorship and protecting Floridians' rights to control their personal data. The Digital Bill of Rights will go a long way toward preventing Big Tech companies from infringing on our rights, and it will presumably inspire other states to adopt similar legislation.
