Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suffered a major setback in his efforts to defend former President Donald Trump’s right to lie on social media. The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Florida law prohibiting the platforms from banning political candidates violated social media companies’ First Amendment rights. The appellate judge wrote, “The government can’t tell a private person or entity what to say or how to say it.” (MSN, May 31, 2022, by the Miami Herald Editorial Board)
DeSantis sought to strike back against censorship of conservatives on the social media when in fact research shows that the platforms do not discriminate against conservatives. The court did allow the law’s provision requiring platforms to publish definitions of standards it uses to censor or ban users. (Vox, May 24, 2022, by Sara Morrison)