A new bill takes aim at government pressure to silence lawful online speech

3 hours ago

The JAWBONE Act creates a federal cause of action against government officials coercing censorship of lawful speech.
The bill establishes a transparency system for government communications with broadcasters, internet services, and AI providers.
Jawboning involves government pressure on private companies to censor First Amendment-protected speech, often hidden from the public.
EFF supports the act, citing cases like ICEBlock's removal from the App Store due to government coercion as a violation of free speech.
EFF filed a FOIA lawsuit to disclose government communications with tech companies that led to censorship of lawful speech.
Not all government-platform communications are coercive; legitimate info-sharing is valuable for a safer internet.
Social media platforms have their own First Amendment rights to moderate speech and are not 'state actors' obligated to allow all content.
EFF's amicus brief and Supreme Court cases affirm companies' right to curate speech, protecting against government dictation of moderation.
EFF applauds the bipartisan effort and hopes the bill balances free expression protections without chilling legitimate government engagement.

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