Cyber in 60 Seconds

Florida law would fine social media companies for censoring politicians

TITLE PLACEHOLDER | Cyber In :60 | GZERO Media

Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:

What is the deal with the new Florida law that fines social media companies for censoring politicians?

Well, it's a deal of Floridian politics, it is informed by Republican anger about the banning of President Trump off of Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. But the last word has not been said about the new law. Challenges based on companies' first amendment rights, as well as compatibility with current intermediary liability exemptions, like Section 230, will probably be fought out in court.

Will the law help or hurt the spread of misinformation on social media?

Now clearly, not only politicians like Trump have been guilty of sharing dis and misinformation, others have, too. So one law, in one state, will unlikely solve that vast and also complicated problem.

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