(FiveNation.com)- On Tuesday, an Ohio House committee advanced legislation banning social media censorship.
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram would be prohibited from restricting information based on ideas or personal beliefs under HB 441. The bill excludes federally prohibited statements, including incitement to violence or harassment.
The measure would require social media sites with at least 50 million members to comply with challenging restricted views.
Professor Adam Candeub of Michigan State University testified in favor of the measure.
Candeub contended that social media is today’s public space. However, the firms who dominate that square are nothing but ‘political actors’ that ‘censor and suppress those who disagree.
Following Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of a bill last year, at least 16 states have filed similar legislation.
A recent Heritage Foundation video highlighted the enormous gap in censoring between Republican and Democratic House members in April 2022.
It has become the censoring arm of the Democratic Party and political left, silencing and deplatforming anyone who opposes the official left-wing narrative.
DeSantis said that Silicon Valley oligarchs shouldn’t decide our country’s free speech. We must resist!”
U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle halted Florida’s measure from taking effect.
According to Hinkle’s interim injunction, balancing private speakers’ viewpoints is not a valid state purpose.
Governor Greg Abbott signed HB20 in September and said that some social media corporations are trying to stifle conservative thoughts and values. It is illegal in Texas.
Judge Robert Pitman for the Western District of Texas issued the preliminary injunction, citing Big Tech’s First Amendment right to control material on its platforms.
Censorship problems influenced Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent purchase of Twitter.
The deal was unanimously authorized by Twitter’s board in late April and is likely to conclude this year, pending shareholder and regulatory clearances.
Upon closure of the proposed transaction, Twitter investors will receive $54.20 in cash for each share of Twitter common stock owned. Twitter’s closing stock price on April 1, 2022, the final trading day before Mr. Musk declared his approximately 9% holding in Twitter, was 38 percent higher than the acquisition price.
Musk has gotten $25.5 billion in fully committed debt and margin loan funding and is committing $21 billion in equity.
That’s a lot of commitment.
