Rep Clyde Reintroduces Bill to Eliminate Government-by-Proxy Censorship

Rep Andrew Clyde (R-GA) reintroduced the Free Speech Defense Act to eliminate government-by-proxy censorship. The Free Speech Defense Act:

• Prohibits the federal government from directing, encouraging, or coercing social media companies to remove users, label content as mis/disinformation, or share users’ data without a warrant
• Forbids public-private partnerships between federal agencies and social media companies for content monitoring
• Bars federal funding for entities that classify—or support the classification of—speech as misinformation or disinformation, as well as for entities that direct or instruct the censorship of protected speech
• Allows private right of action against the government in federal court if Americans can show that they were censored, deplatformed, or labeled
• Strengthens the Antideficiency Act by prohibiting employees of the federal government from soliciting or accepting no-cost services, such as free advertising
• Requires an annual report to Congress by the U.S. Attorney General, in consultation with the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, on the federal government’s compliance with the provisions within the legislation