Social Networks Face Florida Fines for Blocking Politicians (1)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who’s preparing to run for re-election, signed a bill Monday that seeks to discourage social media platforms from suspending the accounts of political candidates.

When the new law (S.B. 7072) takes effect July 1, a platform such as Facebook or Twitter will face a daily fine of $250,000 if they block a statewide candidate for more than 14 days. Suspension of social media privileges against candidates in local elections will carry a $25,000-per-day fine.

Critics called the bill unconstitutional for seeking to control how private businesses use their platforms. Some also said it could ...