Brent Bozell, founder and president of the Media Research Center, is praising a measure by House Republicans to amend Section 230.
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other House Judiciary Committee Republicans reintroduced a bill on Friday that would amend Section 230’s protections for Big Tech.
“Big Tech’s out to get conservatives. The Protect Speech Act will crush tech’s ability to hide behind Section 230 and censor conservative speech. Judiciary Committee Republicans are proud to reintroduce this legislation today and stand up for the First Amendment on the internet,” Jordan told the Daily Caller.
Bozell agreed. “We need more congressmen like these ready to stick it to Big Tech,” he said in a tweet.
The Protect Speech Act was first introduced in October 2020 and was drafted by Reps Jordan, McClintock, Bishop, Tiffany, Spartz, Steube, Johnson, Fitzgerald, Issa, and Fischbach.
“This bill modifies the immunity from liability of a provider or user of an interactive computer service (e.g., a social media company) for screening and blocking offensive content on its platform,” the October bill reads.
“Specifically, the bill provides that this immunity shall not apply to any action taken to restrict access to or availability of material provided by another information content provider unless the action is taken in good faith based on an objectively reasonable belief that the material is (1) obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, promoting terrorism or violent extremism, harassing, promoting self-harm, or unlawful; or (2) violates the applicable terms of service or use.”
State Republicans are taking measures to enact reforms as well. In May, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill designed to take on Big Tech.
“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,” DeSantis said at the time. “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.”
NetChoice, an internet trade group that “works to make the internet safe for free enterprise and free expression,” filed a lawsuit over Florida’s anti-censorship law.
DeSantis was not surprised by the suit, adding that his administration was prepared for legal challenges and remained confident the legislation had a "strong legal basis."
"Big Tech is in some ways more powerful than government, and certainly less accountable. Free speech is a sacred right for all Americans," Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for DeSantis, said.
Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us at the Media Research Center contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.
