Texas Senate blocks social media platforms from banning users for political reasons

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The Texas Senate on Thursday passed a bill preventing social media platforms from banning residents because of their political views.

The Texas Tribune reported that Senate Bill 12 passed shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday. The measure is now heading to State House, where there are two identical bills that have not left their committee, according to the Tribune.

Texas Senator Bryan Hughes (right), sponsor of the Senate bill, said in a video posted to Twitter that the bill “will get Texans back online.”

“I think we all have to recognize that social media companies are the new place in town. A small group of people in San Francisco cannot dictate free speech for the rest of us, “Hugh said.” It has to be an open exchange of ideas and Senate Bill 12 is going to get Texans back online. “

SB 12 prohibits platforms from censoring a “user, a user’s expression, or the user’s ability to receive another person’s expression” based on their views or geographic location , according to his text. The measure also requires social media companies to publicly disclose information about their practices regarding how they target content for users, promote content and services, and moderate content.

The bill would also allow the state attorney general to sue platforms that break the law and recover the costs incurred in bringing the action if successful.

The measure applies to all platforms and services that “have more than 100 million active users in a calendar month”.

The move comes as Conservatives complain that “big tech” companies, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, are targeting their content on their political views.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott (right) has expressed concern over “censorship” in a report in early March, by supporting the Senate bill.

“America was built on free speech and healthy public debate, and efforts to silence conservative views on social media are bogus and weaken public discourse,” Abbot said.

“With SB 12, Senator Hughes takes a stand against Big Tech’s political censorship and protects Texans’ right to free speech,” he said.



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