WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a “Digital Bill of Rights” proposal Wednesday to protect Floridians from Big Tech companies.
“Our Digital Bill of Rights will ensure Floridians are protected from the overreach and surveillance we have seen from big tech companies,” DeSantis said at the Palm Beach Atlantic University news conference.
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The proposed legislation, which will be discussed at the 2023 Florida legislative session in March, will focus on:
- Protecting Floridians’ privacy
- Protecting minors from online harm
- Eliminating unfair censorship
DeSantis railed against big tech companies, saying they are using information gathered from private conversations to use in targeted advertisements. Without giving specific details, he said Florida will not allow the authorized surveillance of those conversations.
He also promised to prohibit the unauthorized data collection and retention of real-time information from a person’s cellphone through measures like GPS location and biometric data.
“We want to protect your right as a Floridian to have private, in-person conversations without big tech surveilling you,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis vowed to protect Floridians’ rights to participate in online platforms without what he called unfair censorship, accusing internet search engines of manipulating search results.
A ban on the social media app TikTok was also on the governor’s agenda, he said at the briefing. DeSantis said the popular app, along with any other application or software tied to China, will be banned on government devices as well as in public schools and universities.
Attorney General Ashley Moody voiced her support for the proposal Wednesday.
“Big Tech has gone unchecked for too long and has been reckless with our data, causing major concerns about privacy and potentially jeopardizing sensitive state information,” Moody said.
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