TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-- Conservatives in the Florida legislature are fighting what they call social media censorship.
On Tuesday, some lawmakers promoted a Senate bill to open up major companies like Facebook and Twitter to civil penalties for banning political speech.
The “Stop Social Media Censorship Act" was filed by Senator, and state GOP chair, Joe Gruters last month.
If approved, large social media companies could face at least $75,000 in statutory damages for every censoring of a user’s religious or political speech.
Gruters has said he feels conservative voices are being targeted online.
He pointed to far-right activist and conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer— who calls herself the most censored woman in the world.
She was banned from Twitter and Facebook after the sites say she violated their online policies. “This story is not about me. It’s about every American and what has happened to me can and will happen to all of you.”
Some First Amendment supporters have argued the bill eliminates free speech by not allowing platforms to control the content they find offensive.
The legislation hasn’t made any progress yet. Committees haven’t scheduled the bill for discussion.
#LauraLoomer, 'most banned, censored woman in the world,' backs @JoeGruters' social media censorship bill via @JacobOgles https://t.co/LHUb2b8SpM #FlaPol pic.twitter.com/qxzeVRAFKR
— Florida Politics (@Fla_Pol) January 21, 2020
