Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis named the country’s largest technology companies on Tuesday, which he characterized as a group of “monopoly communication platforms” based on how they grew up to regulate public speaking.
On Tuesday, DeSantis announced a crackdown on technology companies for content moderation, which he equated with political manipulation, reiterating the belief held by many conservatives that Silicon Valley is biased against right-wing views.
“We think this is something that Floridians want protection against, and I think it will end up being a good first step,” DeSantis told Tucker Carlson Tonight on Tuesday.
“There was always the question, ‘What do you do about it?’ Many of us thought there was something wrong for a long time, but sitting around and waiting for it to improve, it clearly wouldn’t work. So we are leading and I think it will be good. “
DESANTIS PROPOSES DAILY FINES TO BREACHERS OF GREAT TECHNOLOGY
In an effort to keep Big Tech out of Florida’s political sphere, DeSantis has proposed a series of measures, including a $ 100,000 daily fine for companies that deplore political candidates. In addition, actions taken by companies to effectively promote a candidate will be considered campaign contributions.
The governor proposed measures to increase user rights as well, including allowing individuals and Florida’s attorney general to sue companies for violations of individual protections, as well as requiring companies to provide full disclosures of actions taken against individuals for violating policies.
“It’s not just about being banned from Twitter. As we’ve seen, these companies can collude,” DeSantis told host Tucker Carlson. “They can deny you, if you’re a small business … payment processing, the ability to use email and text. So, you go to a rally that they don’t like or get involved in the wrong thoughts and, suddenly, their flower business is beheaded for a month because they take action. “
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The Republican acknowledged that the initiative is likely to cause a “big fight in the legislative session.
“Fortunately, we can get a lot of support,” he said. “Most people want protections for their privacy and data. Most people want protections against the platform. I think it will be welcomed, but we are committed. We know there are always fights over these things, so stay tuned.”
Fox News’s Brittany De Lea contributed to this report.