Name: Iowa Senate approves bill taking aim at tech companies that restrict speech
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Iowa Senate approves bill taking aim at tech companies that restrict speech

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AdvertisementIowa Senate approves bill taking aim at tech companies that restrict speechHide TranscriptShow TranscriptSTACEY: IOWA LAWMAKERS ARE CRACKING DOWN ON WHAT THEY SEE AS CENSORSHIP OF CONSERVATIVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AS KCCI’S CHRIS GOTHNER REPORTS, THE SENATE PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD DENY TECH COMPANIES BIG TAX BREAKS IF THEY REMOVE CONTENT. &gt;&gt; WE HAVE LIBERAL EXECUTIVES IN THE SILICON VALLEY DICTATING WHAT IOWANS ARE GOING TO BE FED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. CHRIS: CONSERVATIVES CONTINUED THEIR CRUSADE AGAINST BIG TECH WEDNESDAY. ON A PARTY-LINE VOTE, IOWA SENATE REPUBLICANS PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD PULL TAX INCENTIVES AND GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS FROM TECH COMPANIES THAT REMOVE IOWANS’ CONTENT ONLINE. THEY BELIEVE CONSERVATIVES ARE BEING CENSORED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. PERHAPS MOST PROMINENTLY FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, BANNED FROM TWITTER AFTER THE CAPITOL RIOTS. SENATE FILE 580 WOULD REQUIRE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE CENSORSHIP COMPLAINTS AND TAKE COMPANIES TO COURT. IF FOUND IN VIOLATION, COMPANIES WOULD LOSE OUT ON TAX BREAKS AND CONTRACTS FOR 20 YEARS. &gt;&gt; WHAT THESE COMPANIES DON’T HAVE IS A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT FIRST AMENDMENT OR OTHERWISE, TO GOVERNMENT GRANTS, TAXPAYER SUBSIDIES, ETC. CHRIS: BIG TECH HAS A BIG PRESENCE IN IOWA. FACEBOOK HAS A DATA CENTER IN ALTOONA, AMAZON HAS A FACILITY IN BONDURANT, AND APPLE INTENDS TO BUILD A DATA CENTER IN WAUKEE. BECAUSE OF THAT, DEMOCRATS ARGUE THE BILL JEOPARDIZES JOBS. &gt;&gt; IT HANGS A SIGN ON OUR STATE THAT SAYS WE’RE EXTREME AND UNPREDICTABLE. CHRIS: THEY ALSO SAY IT RAISES CONSTITUTIONAL QUESTIONS, AND SAY PLATFORMS AREN’T CENSORING CONSERVATIVE VIEWPOINTS, THEY’RE REMOVING CONTENT PROMOTING HATE AND VIOLENCE. &gt;&gt; IT IS GOING TO CAUSE HARM TO IOWA’S ECONOMY TO MAKE A POLITICAL POINT ABOUT AN ISSUE THAT DOES NOT EXIST. CHRIS THE BILL NOW HEADS TO THE : HOUSE. IN DES MOINES, CHRIS GOTHNER, KCCI 8 NEWS, IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. STACEY: EXCEPTIONS ARE MADE FOR CONTENT THAT’S OBSCENE, EXCESSIVELY VIOLENT, PORNOGRAPHY, GENERATED BY BOTS, OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. REPUBLICANS REJECTED A DEMOCRATIC AMENDMENT THAT WOULD HAVE ADDED PROMOTION OF INSURRECTION, ELECTION FRAUD OR HATE SPEECH TO THAT LIST, ALONG WITH FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN AN ELECTIAdvertisementIowa Senate approves bill taking aim at tech companies that restrict speechOn a party-line vote Wednesday, Iowa Senate Republicans passed a bill that would pull tax incentives and government contracts from tech companies that remove Iowans' content online.It's a continuation of conservatives' crusade against big tech companies. They believe conservatives are being censored on social media. Many have pointed to former President Donald Trump's bans from social media sites following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, including his once-preferred platform, Twitter."We have liberal executives in the Silicon Valley dictating what Iowans are going to be fed through social media platforms," The bill's sponsor, Senate President Jake Chapman, R-Adel, said. Senate File 580 would require the Attorney General's office to investigate censorship complaints and take companies to court.If found in violation, companies would lose out on tax breaks and contracts for 20 years."What these companies don't have is a constitutional right, First Amendment or otherwise, to government grants, taxpayer subsidies, etc." Sen. Zach Whiting, R-Spirit Lake said. Big tech has a big presence in Iowa, especially in the Des Moines metro. Sites include a Facebook data center in Altoona, an Amazon facility in Bondurant and a planned Apple data center in Waukee. Because of that, Democrats argue the bill jeopardizes jobs."It hangs a sign on our state that says 'We're extreme and unpredictable,'" Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Hiawatha, said. They also argue it raises constitutional questions. Democratic lawmakers also said platforms aren't censoring conservative viewpoints, they're simply moderating content promoting hate and violence."(The bill) is going to cause harm to Iowa's economy to make a political point about an issue that does not exist," Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said. The bill makes exceptions for companies censoring content that's obscene, excessively violent, pornographic, generated by bots or intellectual property.Republicans rejected a Democratic amendment that would have added "promotion of insurrection," election fraud or hate speech to that list, along with foreign interference in an election.Senate File 580 now heads to the Iowa House of Representatives. That chamber has its own anti-censorship bill, but it is limited to penalizing companies that censor elected officials.On a party-line vote Wednesday, Iowa Senate Republicans passed a bill that would pull tax incentives and government contracts from tech companies that remove Iowans' content online.It's a continuation of conservatives' crusade against big tech companies. They believe conservatives are being censored on social media. Many have pointed to former President Donald Trump's following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, including his once-preferred platform, Twitter.Advertisement"We have liberal executives in the Silicon Valley dictating what Iowans are going to be fed through social media platforms," , Senate President Jake Chapman, R-Adel, said. would require the Attorney General's office to investigate censorship complaints and take companies to court.If found in violation, companies would lose out on tax breaks and contracts for 20 years."What these companies don't have is a constitutional right, First Amendment or otherwise, to government grants, taxpayer subsidies, etc." Sen. Zach Whiting, R-Spirit Lake said.Big tech has a big presence in Iowa, especially in the Des Moines metro. Sites include a Facebook data center in Altoona, an Amazon facility in Bondurant and a planned Apple data center in Waukee.Because of that, Democrats argue the bill jeopardizes jobs."It hangs a sign on our state that says 'We're extreme and unpredictable,'" Sen. Liz Mathis, D-Hiawatha, said. They also argue it raises constitutional questions. Democratic lawmakers also said platforms aren't censoring conservative viewpoints, they're simply moderating content promoting hate and violence."(The bill) is going to cause harm to Iowa's economy to make a political point about an issue that does not exist," Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, said. The bill makes exceptions for companies censoring content that's obscene, excessively violent, pornographic, generated by bots or intellectual property.Republicans rejected a Democratic amendment that would have added "promotion of insurrection," election fraud or hate speech to that list, along with foreign interference in an election.Senate File 580 now heads to the Iowa House of Representatives. That chamber has anti-censorship bill, but it is limited to penalizing companies that censor elected officials.Loading more articles...

AdvertisementIowa Senate approves bill taking aim at tech companies that restrict speechHide TranscriptShow TranscriptSTACEY: IOWA LAWMAKERS ARE CRACKING DOWN ON WHAT THEY SEE AS CENSORSHIP OF CONSERVATIVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AS KCCI’S CHRIS GOTHNER REPORTS, THE SENATE PASSED A BILL THAT WOULD DENY TECH COMPANIES BIG TAX BREAKS IF THEY REMOVE CONTENT. &gt;&gt; WE HAVE LIBERAL EXECUTIVES IN THE SILICON VALLEY DICTATING WHAT IOWANS ARE GOING TO BE FED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. CHRIS: CONSERVATIVES CONTINUED THEIR CRUSADE AGAINST BIG TECH WEDNESDAY. ON A PARTY-LINE VOTE, IOWA SENATE...

Iowa Senate approves bill taking aim at tech companies that restrict speech

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