TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Floridians may soon be able to limit Big Tech from cashing in on their personal information thanks to a new bill passed by the Florida Legislature this week.
The bill establishes the “Florida Digital Bill of Rights” – designed to protect user privacy, eliminate unfair censorship and shield minors from online harms. Governor DeSantis introduced the proposal in February ahead of the Legislative Session and is expected to sign the bill.
The bill specifically targets companies that make “an excess of $1 billion in global gross annual revenue,” exempting smaller businesses from some of the restrictions. These tech giants – such as Google, Facebook and Twitter – must require users to give the platform permission to share certain kinds of personal data.
Under the proposal, companies will also be required to comply within 45 days to user’s opt-out request for sale or use of personal data for targeted ads, as well as data collected via a “voice recognition feature” or “precise geolocation.”
Additionally, the bill bans governmental employees from initiating or maintaining “any agreements or working relationships with a social media platform for the purpose of content moderation.”
