What are your thoughts on this?

[mojo84]

Not necessarily gun related but in a way it is. Full disclosure, I have not read the bill yet so I have not formed an opinion so far. However, I am interested in your thoughts.

www.texastribune.org/2019/04/23/texas-s ... companies/

A bill before the Texas Senate seeks to prevent social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter from censoring users based on their viewpoints. Supporters say it would protect the free exchange of ideas but critics say the bill contradicts a federal law that allows social media platforms to regulate their own content.

The measure — Senate Bill 2373 by state Sen. Bryan Hughes R-Mineola — would hold social media platforms accountable for restricting users’ speech based on personal opinions. Hughes said the bill applies to social media platforms that advertise as unbiased but still censor users. The bill was unanimously approved by the Senate State Affairs Committee last week.

“Senate Bill 2373 tries to prevent those companies that control these new public spaces, this new public square, from picking winners and losers based on content,” Hughes said in the committee hearing. “Basically if the company represents, ‘we’re an open forum and we don’t discriminate based on content,’ then they shouldn’t be able to discriminate based on content.”

[jason812]

I have a couple of thoughts...

Senate Bill 2373 as in they came up with two thousand, three hundred, and seventy-three different ideas/laws to rule we the peasants with. I'm sure this isn't the last one and I know the house has more. The government (local to fed) really has gotten way out of hand.

On paper and in summary, it's good but it will never pass the federal level, be adhered to, or if violated, there will be no repercussions.

[DynamicDan]

It is a waste of time. It is not enforceable.

[Jusme]

Not for it. All social media platforms, are private entities. Government should not try to regulate them.
No matter our feelings about how Facebook, Twitter, etc. edits their content, they have the right to do so without government interference. If you don't like the way they run things, don't use them.
The next question would be, how would any legislation be enforced? Would the State have to hire SM monitors? Would there be a board to view complaints? What, if any, penalties, could the State impose, that would hold up in court?
To me this is posturing to try to satisfy a base. JMHO

[bblhd672]

Not for it. All social media platforms, are private entities. Government should not try to regulate them.
No matter our feelings about how Facebook, Twitter, etc. edits their content, they have the right to do so without government interference. If you don't like the way they run things, don't use them.
The next question would be, how would any legislation be enforced? Would the State have to hire SM monitors? Would there be a board to view complaints? What, if any, penalties, could the State impose, that would hold up in court?
To me this is posturing to try to satisfy a base. JMHO

[RicoTX]

Not for it. All social media platforms, are private entities. Government should not try to regulate them.
No matter our feelings about how Facebook, Twitter, etc. edits their content, they have the right to do so without government interference. If you don't like the way they run things, don't use them.
The next question would be, how would any legislation be enforced? Would the State have to hire SM monitors? Would there be a board to view complaints? What, if any, penalties, could the State impose, that would hold up in court?
To me this is posturing to try to satisfy a base. JMHO

Agree completely. Very slippery slope.

[chasfm11]

The only practical way to deal with this problem would be to break up the monopoly that is social media. I'll go so far as to say that I think it would be possible to prosecute the social media companies under RICO as well as monopoly. The Federal government, back in the 1960s, prosecuted IBM in a very expensive lawsuit for far less in the way of market dominance. As long as Facebookgoogle retain the power that they have, not regulation is going to work. Competition would.