Florida - Saturday February 18, 2023: Governor DeSantis is proposing legislation that would ban the use of TikTok and other social media platforms with ties to China from all state government devices, and through internet services at colleges, universities, and public schools.
The proposal would require google and other large search engines operating in Florida to disclose whether they prioritize search results based on political or ideological views, or monetary consideration.
The Governor has also directed the Department of Management Services (DMS) to issue a formal recommendation to state agencies to implement all necessary safeguards to block access to applications and software tied to China, including TikTok, WeChat, and QQ, from all state devices. DMS will also prevent network connections to servers associated with foreign countries of concern.
The Governor said that the bill, which has not been filed yet, would "builds on our efforts to stop Big Tech censorship and combat the malign influence of China through the removal of nefarious platforms like TikTok from any state supported activity.”
The proposal also includes a so-called "Digital Bill of Rights" that states:
* The right to have private, in-person conversations without Big Tech surveillance
* The right to participate in online platforms without unfair censorship
* The right to know how internet search engines manipulate search results
* The right to control personal data
* The right to protect children from online harms
The proposed legislation will be summited to Florida lawmakers when the 2023 Legislative Session begins in March.