Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received a standing ovation for his response to a reporter questioning whether his bill prohibiting social media companies from banning politicians was inspired by former President Donald Trump.
“The bill is for everyday Floridians,” DeSantis responded with a smirk as the audience loudly laughed at the question. “This is what we said. And it would allow any Floridian to be able to provide what they’re doing.”
“I do think that’s another issue that has been brought to bear. When you de-platform the president of the United States but you let Ayatollah Khomeini talk about killing Jews, that is wrong,” DeSantis continued, eliciting cheers and a standing ovation from attendees.
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Twitter has been scrutinized by some observers for an apparent double standard when it comes to allowing Khomeini, who frequently posts antisemitic and violent rhetoric on Twitter, continued use of the platform while choosing to suspend Trump permanently.
FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTIS SIGNS BILL STOPPING SOCIAL MEDIA FROM BANNING POLITICIANS
The governor’s remarks came as he signed what he called “Florida’s Big Tech Bill,” which will make it illegal for social media companies to ban state political candidates. The new law imposes a fine of $250,000 per day when a company de-platforms a statewide candidate and $25,000 per day when a company de-platforms a local candidate.
But some critics argue that the bill is unconstitutional.
“This bill abandons conservative values, violates the First Amendment, and would force websites to host antisemitic, racist, and hateful content,” Carl Szabo, vice president of trade group NetChoice, told the Washington Examiner.
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“Content moderation is crucial to an internet that is safe and valuable for families and Floridian small businesses, but this bill would undermine this important ecosystem,” Szabo continued.
