Just The News: Social media platforms that choose to suspend or ban candidates for office would face tens of thousands – or hundreds of thousands – of dollars a day in fines under legislation working its way through the Legislature.
The House Commerce Committee on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 1106 along party lines. The bill defines how a social media suspends, bans or reduces the exposure of an account. This is also referred to as “shadowbanning.”
Under the bill, the Arizona Secretary of State may fine a social media platform $25,000 a day for hindering the speech of a candidate for office. The penalty increases to $250,000 a day if the issue concerns a candidate for statewide office.
“This legislation seeks to reinforce the First Amendment, especially for political speech,” said Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, of her bill. “Which I have personal experience in telling you it is a higher bar than regular speech.”
The legislation also provides similar protections for accounts identifying as journalists.
Amy Bos, director of state and federal affairs at the free-market nonprofit NetChoice, said Rogers’ legislation would stifle a private business from moderating its platform.
“It’s means violate the well-established First Amendment right to editorial discretion,” she told the committee. “The act compels online businesses to host content they’d otherwise remove or obstruct highly-inappropriate content that might not be appropriate for all viewers.”
Bos said a similar law was struck down in Florida last year.
The committee voted 6-4 to approve the bill. It had made its way out of the Senate in February.
You better do something about your corrupt judicial system first or no one will impose the fine.