Big Tech has been working overtime to strip basic rights and freedoms away from every American.
They collect highly-consequential data on Americans and then decide what they get to read and share online.
And Ron DeSantis just signed major legislation that will have a profound effect on all Floridians.
Florida Digital Bill of Rights will give residents the ability to “opt out” of data collection services
Governor Ron DeSantis delivered a blow to Big Tech’s stranglehold on privacy and liberty in the state of Florida this week. It’s possible that this legislation could have a domino effect that produces similar legislation in other states and even changes the way these companies operate.
DeSantis signed Senate Bill 262, also known as the Florida Digital Bill of Rights. The law will provide new protections for Floridians while using social media, search engines, and other online services. It also mandates that companies like Google “disclose whether they prioritize search results” politically.
It requires ad services to offer to “opt out” Florida residents’ of the sale of personal data and completely prevents the collection of data on children. It gives residents of the state the ability to control what data is retained by social media companies and prohibits companies from using this data against them.
DeSantis championed the bill as a major win for digital rights and hopes it will mend the divide in our country.
DeSantis is seeking to stop “Big Tech oligarchs” from “conspiring”’ against Floridians
“Floridians should have the right to control their own personal data,” the Governor’s office wrote in a statement. The DeSantis administration is fighting against the companies “conspiring to take your data and sell it or use it against you.”
As of July 1 of this year, it will be illegal for “Big Tech oligarchs to commandeer your personal information and deprive you of the right to access, confirm, or delete that data as you wish.” This bill will ensure that “it is your right to be able to protect that data.”
The bill also fills a gap in long-standing regulations to protect children from deceptive marketing. The new bill bans the collection of data from minors. This move will have a major effect on how social media companies operate. Many companies like TikTok actively scrape the accounts of children for data.
The bill also seeks to end the partisanship that users experience online every day.
Digital Bill of Rights clamps down on the politicization of Big Tech platforms and make elections freer
The law requires Google and other search engines to inform users if they are prioritizing the information they see based on political or ideological affiliations. This could have a major impact on upcoming elections and could expose a nation-wide effort to sway the outcome in certain races.
Dr. Robert Epstein released a report following the 2020 elections that showed how Big Tech companies can influence the political narrative in the country. He said Google had shifted “about 15 million votes without anyone’s awareness” in 2020.
Florida’s Digital Bill of Rights will stop these companies from interfering in our political discourse, including collusion between state government employees and Big Tech firms.
This will give Florida an advantage in fighting back against technocratic authoritarianism.
Patriot Political will keep you up-to-date on any developments to this ongoing story.
