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Texas governor working on legislation to prevent social media from canceling conservative speech

Stevicus

Stevicus

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
Texas Governor Abbott working on legislation to prevent social media platforms from 'canceling conservative speech' | Fox Business

They tried to pass a similar bill two years ago, but failed. Now, they're trying again.

"We filed a bill about this during the last session two years ago, it passed the Senate did not make it through the House,” Hughes told WFAA’s Inside Texas Politics in an interview on Sunday. "So the bill we’re getting ready to file will say that if a company discriminates against you, deplatforms you, blocks you, kicks you off based on your viewpoint, based on your politics, your religion, based on viewpoint discrimination, it will give you a way to get back online.”
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According to Hughes, the previous bill looked at different options for how users can bring discrimination lawsuits against the social media giants.

"What we would like to do is to give any Texan who's being discriminated against, the option to bring an action and we think that will get Facebook's attention, get Twitter's attention, and cause them to start treating Texans fairly,” Hughes added.
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Hughes and Abbott are not the only government officials seeking to hold big tech accountable for actions on their platforms.

Democratic Sens. Mark Warner, a former tech entrepreneur from Virginia, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota have recently introduced the Safeguarding Against Fraud, Exploitation, Threats, Extremism and Consumer Harms Act (SAFE TECH Act), which would aim to mitigate harmful content currently protected by Section 230.

Section 230 is a provision in the Communications Decency Act which shields social media companies from liability in relation to content posted on their platforms by third parties.

"An original impetus for Section 230 was a state court ruling in 1995 that many consider flawed (and unlikely to have been adopted more broadly), holding an online bulletin board was liable for a user’s defamatory post because it moderated some content and had established content guidelines – signifying editorial control," the senators wrote. "Section 230 provides “interactive computer services” with immunity from liability for the content of their users. And – reversing the poorly-reasoned 1995 case – ensures that these providers retain this broad immunity even when they engage in moderation efforts of user content."

The proposed law would end Section 230 protections for ads or paid content, allow victims to seek court orders that would force Big Tech to crack down on misuse, and allow platforms to be sued in a number of situations where they are currently immune.
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Section 230 has been called a "get out of jail free" card.

"Section 230 has provided a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card to the largest platform companies even as their sites are used by scam artists, harassers, and violent extremists to cause damage and injury," Warner said in a statement.

However, the bill stops short of repealing Section 230 altogether, as some critics have called for, including both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden.

"How [Big Tech companies] operate has a real-life effect on the safety and civil rights of Americans and people around the world, as well as our democracy," Klobuchar added. "Holding these platforms accountable for ads and content that can lead to real-world harm is critical, and this legislation will do just that."
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These 3 bills heading to the state legislature will get Texas talking | wfaa.com

That Section 230 in the Communications Decency Act has been targeted quite a bit lately. People in both parties seem to think there's something wrong with it and should be repealed.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
Mobs or laws preventing free speech
Is supposed to be against the most
fundamental values of the USA.

While I was at an American university
leftist mobs made sure nobody but a
proper liberal could speak.
 
Altfish

Altfish

Veteran Member
Audie said:
Mobs or laws preventing free speech
Is supposed to be against the most
fundamental values of the USA.

While I was at an American university
leftist mobs made sure nobody but a
proper liberal could speak.
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The right wing is so down trodden. Poor them, Fox News is left wing even.

The right are trying this argument in the UK - Free Speech is being banned . It is rubbish, Hate Speech is becoming illegal, Lying has consequences is suddenly dawning on people.
Meanwhile a new right wing TV station is starting in UK.
 
Terrywoodenpic

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
Altfish said:
The right wing is so down trodden. Poor them, Fox News is left wing even.

The right are trying this argument in the UK - Free Speech is being banned . It is rubbish, Hate Speech is becoming illegal, Lying has consequences is suddenly dawning on people.
Meanwhile a new right wing TV station is starting in UK.
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not heard of that . what will it be called and who owns it?
 
A Vestigial Mote

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
Stevicus said:
Texas Governor Abbott working on legislation to prevent social media platforms from 'canceling conservative speech' | Fox Business
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I guess the question boils down to whether or not social media sites are, indeed, "public platforms" or whether the companies that run these sites (support infrastructure, code and develop, curate content for, moderate, etc.) have a say in what content they allow to (ultimately) represent themselves. You already agree to a pretty hefty listing of terms when you sign up - and it seems to me that a lot of it likely covers exactly what this Governor is wanting to be able to challenge them on.

There's usually always some clause like "[Insert company here] reserves the right to curtail any content we find to be not in-keeping with our stated mission.", which gives them license to take down anything that ends up causing them grief. I honestly agree with the idea that these sites should be able to continue to do this. If you don't like it, don't use the site. No one is stopping you from taking your message (once deemed detrimental by social media) to the streets and performing whatever peaceful demonstration you want to in public. And I truly believe that the audience you can reach in doing such is just about the only audience one should feel any entitlement to. You aren't special. You don't have a "right" to broadcast your words to all of humanity using someone else's procured method for potentially doing so.
 
ecco

ecco

Veteran Member
Right here on RF, there are rules of conduct.

We abide by them or get ejected. If you have been posting on RF for any period of time then you are implicitly OK with having to abide by the rules of conduct of a social media forum. Denouncing the right of social media sites to regulate content is hypocrisy.
 
Altfish

Altfish

Veteran Member
Revoltingest said:
And this is the problem with so many who claim
to be "liberal". Tolerance isn't about tolerating
people you agree with....it's about free speech
for all...even those you oppose.
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No problem with free speech, but hate speech which instigates violence and hatred is banned under free speech laws in most countries already
 
epronovost

epronovost

Well-Known Member
I find spurious that conflation of a mix of lies, conspiracy theory, racism , homophobia and transphobia with ''conservatism''. These are why social media platform banned several commentors. You can absolutely be conservative without lying through your teeth all the time about stolen elections, mind controlling vaccin, transwomen sexual predators and Jews controlling the world.
 
Revoltingest

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
mikkel_the_dane said:
Thanks. Now do the hatred.
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An unusual request.
But OK.
IHateEverything.gif
 
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