The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, regarding the amicus brief filed by CTA and several groups, to challenge Florida SB 7072, the Transparency in Technology Act.

“We joined this amicus brief to support NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association’s challenge to Florida’s Transparency in Technology Act, a new social media law that harms Floridians, innovators and keystone American values. This bill removes the right of online service providers to exercise editorial judgment on their private property. This is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

“The bill prohibits any removal of posts by vaguely defined journalistic enterprises or anyone running for political office in the state. By exempting many users from any moderation, this provision opens the door to a torrent of harmful content – terrorist propaganda, foreign government disinformation, hate speech, fraud schemes and more. By subjecting online platforms to ambiguous and undefined moderation standards, this ill-considered law is a gift to trial lawyers, inviting a barrage of lawsuits against big and small businesses alike. 

“We urge the U.S. District Court to stand up for the First Amendment and swiftly strike down this anti-American, anti-consumer and anti-innovation law.”