NEW LAW

Florida Is Going to Fine Social Media Companies That Ban Political Candidates

It’s not clear Florida can enforce the law, which would levy $250,000-per-day fines against companies that ban statewide political candidates.

In a legal first, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law that will impose fines on social media companies that permanently ban political candidates in Florida. The law, which comes after social media giants Facebook and Twitter banned former President Trump, levies fines of $250,000 a day for companies that ban a candidate who is running for statewide office, and $25,000 a day for removing the account of someone running for local office. “Some of these massive, massive companies in Silicon Valley are exerting a power over our population that really has no precedent in American history,” said DeSantis at a bill-signing ceremony on Monday. However, it’s not clear that Florida will be able to enforce the law, as a well-known legal protection called Section 230 has historically shielded internet platforms from regulation.