The other day the state of Florida experienced what I think is a historic event
Governor Ron DeSantis, an ardent Trump supporter and, of course, a Republican, signed into law that from now on, those Florida residents who are censored or have their social media accounts shut down can sue the social media networks and demand monetary damages of as much as $100,000.
Such a precedent has never been set in the country before.
The opinion was that social networks are private companies, which have the right to establish and apply their own rules and act towards their customers as they see fit. So the social networks, which unequivocally support Democrats and promote left-liberal views, were restricted by some, and others completely denied Donald Trump’s ability to publish on their space. And at the same time shut down the accounts of hundreds, maybe thousands, of his supporters, and in fact members of the Republican party. And this despite the fact that 90% of the mainstream media also support the Democrats. Thus, Republicans with their conservative beliefs have been thoroughly gagged.
Well, social networks are, of course, private companies. But their influence on public opinion is enormous. So enormous, in fact, that in its significance for the life of the country, they have long outgrown the status of a private company and have become, rather, a kind of institution of public good, which cannot serve one party, one system of views. Such is the reasoning in Florida. One can assume that other states, among those controlled by Republicans, will follow suit.
Mikhail Taratuta