# FL Gov. DeSantis Passes Law Banning Big Tech ‘Deplatforming’

By Human Events · Published 2021-05-25 · News & Analysis › Media · https://humanevents.com/news/fl-gov-desantis-passes-law-banning-big-tech-deplatforming

> Amidst a seemingly endless Big Tech deplatforming spree, Florida is the first state in the nation to take a stand. Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law Monday, giving the state power to penalize companies when they ban political candidates. DeSantis celebrated the law as a blow against “Silicon Valley elites,” who he said aim \[…\]

Amidst a seemingly endless Big Tech deplatforming spree, Florida is the first state in the nation to take a stand.

Governor [Ron DeSantis](https://humanevents.com/2021/05/13/desantis-to-exercise-authority-in-pardoning-gym-owners-others-over-mask-violations/) signed a new law Monday, giving the state power to penalize companies when they ban political candidates.

DeSantis celebrated the law as a blow against “Silicon Valley elites,” who he said aim to censor differing political views, *NBC News* [reports.](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/florida-governor-signs-ban-deplatforming-tech-companies-rcna1018?cid=eml_eveningrundown_20210524&user_email=b7ff058d0c244b76f7ae6cab2b232a1998d8cf09aae7a3ee16f7b7c65a02b752&utm_medium=Email%20Sailthru&%243p=e_sailthru&_branch_match_id=888028290537700944)

“What we’ve been seeing across the U.S. is an effort to silence, intimidate and wipe out dissenting voices by the leftist media and big corporations,” DeSantis said in a statement.

The Sunshine State’s new law says that social media companies may not “permanently delete or ban” a candidate running for office. Suspensions of up to 14 days are permitted, and a service can remove individual posts that violate terms of service.

If a platform’s actions violate the law, the state’s elections commission may impose a whopping $250,000 fine per day for statewide candidates and $25,000 a day for other candidates.

Additionally, individuals in the state can sue for violations of the law, such as failure by a company to be transparent about its terms of service.

Companies are excluded from the law if they operate “a theme park or entertainment complex,” a portion that was added to protect Disney’s streaming service.