SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman James Gallagher’s (R-Yuba City), along with coauthor Kevin Kiley (R-Rocklin), announced AB 1114, which would define social media platforms as “public forums’’, essentially applying the First Amendment protections to social media platforms.
AB 1114 would prevent social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube or Twitter from removing or manipulating any content unless it was unprotected speech under the First Amendment. Platforms would still be able to remove content such as pornography, incitements to violence or obscenities.
Gallagher said, “Social Media platforms are today’s version of a public square. User’s speech on these platforms should be protected under the First Amendment just like it would if they were speaking in a public space. Canceling people and views, in addition to being Orwellian, is contributing to further polarization in our politics today.”
3 comments
This first amendment is already in place. It just hasn’t been enforced for several years. Good luck getting the social media to obey the constitution.
The hypocrites will eat the bill up and spit it out.
Even if one accepts the premise that such “free speech protection” is needed, state-level legislation is not the appropriate place for it.
More snotty Republicans trying to protect their right to lie and peddle disinformation by passing a law that regulates private company speech and conduct. I guess regulations are only bad when they affect other affect big oil or other industries Republicans care about.
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