"It is just as unconstitutional – and thus illegal – for the US Government to violate the First Amendment by proxy – through so-called private companies – as if the government directly attacked our free speech."
Bans federal agencies from engaging with social media companies "for the purpose of urging, encouraging, pressuring or inducing in any manner the removal, deletion, suppression or reduction of content containing protected free speech."
"By providing more transparency about foreign lobbying practices, these bipartisan bills will help stop attempts by foreign adversaries to influence our political process," Senator Peters stated.
“Time and time again, the Biden Administration and Big Tech have shown they cannot police themselves in protecting Americans’ First Amendment right to free speech,” says Sen. Johnson.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a statement that the emergency powers used during COVID-19 were the "greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country."