The governor of Florida is calling out big tech companies for their shameless de-platforming of politicians who go against leftist ideology or question the liberal, leftist big-government agenda, WTSP Tampa is reporting.
On May 24 Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that would impose a fine of $250,000 per day on any tech company that de-platforms or censors any candidate running for statewide office. A fine of $25,000 a day could be imposed on social media platforms that de-platform candidates for non-statewide offices. The fines would be levied by the Florida Election Commission.
DeSantis had made the legislation a high priority since early February, the month when several companies de-platformed high-profile users and news sites after accusing them of publishing “misinformation” and “conspiracy theories” that questioned the corruption and irregularities surrounding the installation of Joe Biden in the White House.
“This session, we took action to ensure that ‘We the People’ — real Floridians across the Sunshine State — are guaranteed protection against the Silicon Valley elites,” said DeSantis. “Many in our state have experienced censorship and other tyrannical behavior firsthand in Cuba and Venezuela. If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable.”
DeSantis said the bill is aimed at stopping big tech companies from silencing the foes of their political and financial allies.
At the signing, DeSantis pointed out how at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, social media platforms would censor those who said the virus may have originated in a Chinese lab. Now Dr. Anthony Fauci says that’s a possibility, and DeSantis asked if that meant Fauci would be de-platformed.
“Are they now going to censor Fauci and pull him down, off social media?” the popular governor asked.
