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Online Censorship Bill Just One Signature Away From Becoming Law In California
Daily Caller ^ | September 24, 2025 | Melissa O'Rourke

Posted on 09/26/2025 9:16:31 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican

A controversial bill awaiting California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature would slap steep new penalties on social media platforms that fail to censor content deemed in violation of the state’s civil rights laws.

SB 771, which passed both chambers of the state legislature and was sent to Newsom’s desk on Monday, imposes fines of up to $1,000,000 on social media platforms that fail to remove content that violates the state’s civil rights laws. Critics warn the measure will lead to sweeping censorship of lawful speech.

Lawmakers defended SB 771 by citing “rising incidents of hate-motivated harm,” including “hate crimes involving anti-immigrant slurs.” The bill’s text also references data from the Human Rights Campaign and the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), showing a 400% rise in “anti-LGBTQ+ disinformation and harmful rhetoric on major social media platforms.”

“If people think platforms remove their content too much now, they should expect to see the pattern significantly intensify with this law,” Shoshana Weissmann, director of digital media at the R Street Institute, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Rather than risk liability for showing users content one could argue (even if it doesn’t actually) violate a law, platforms will over-moderate and remove posts in order to stay out of court.”

(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: antifa; antifagovernor; arrestnewsom; california; censorship; designatedterrorist; dissent; domesticterrorist; enemycombatant; foreignagent; freespeech; groomergovernor; homofascism; noauthority; removenewsomnow; sedition; treason
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1 posted on 09/26/2025 9:16:31 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: MinorityRepublican

Bookmark


2 posted on 09/26/2025 9:31:08 PM PDT by Southside_Chicago_Republican (God save the United States!)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Since Free Republic is based in California, this may be a big concern.


3 posted on 09/26/2025 9:45:37 PM PDT by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
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To: CatOwner

If Newsolini has any aspirations of running for president (and he definitely does), he won’t sign this.


4 posted on 09/26/2025 9:54:24 PM PDT by norcal joe
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To: MinorityRepublican

DOA with any honest judge in the land. Our legislature here in Calif has gone off the rails.


5 posted on 09/26/2025 9:58:31 PM PDT by Bullish (My tagline ran off with another man, but it's ok---- I wasn't married to it.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Rather than risk liability for showing users content one could argue (even if it doesn’t actually) violate a law, platforms will over-moderate and remove posts in order to stay out of court.”

BOOM! And there it is. A Make-work project for lawyers. Talk about Lawfare.

6 posted on 09/26/2025 9:59:30 PM PDT by Texas Eagle ("Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"- Donald J. Trump)
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To: MinorityRepublican
Critics warn the measure will lead to sweeping censorship of lawful speech.

Wait till Jimmy Kimmel hears about this! He'll cry enough crocodile tears to fill a thimble.

7 posted on 09/26/2025 10:01:29 PM PDT by Texas Eagle ("Throw me to the wolves and I'll return leading the pack"- Donald J. Trump)
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To: Bullish

I suppose there are District Court judges this would get past, but even the 9th Circuit wouldn’t abide it. I’m betting Newsom doesnt sign it


8 posted on 09/26/2025 10:07:06 PM PDT by j.havenfarm (24 years on Free Republic, 12/10/24! More than 10,500 replies and still not shutting up!)
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To: MinorityRepublican
They will have to ban 99% of rap music for using racial and misogynistic slurs.
9 posted on 09/26/2025 10:11:33 PM PDT by unlearner (I'm tired of being not tired of winning.)
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To: CatOwner

Uh oh, didn’t even think of that. It’s aimed straight at us.


10 posted on 09/26/2025 10:12:02 PM PDT by JerseyDvl (During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.)
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To: j.havenfarm

I think he’d be stupid to sign it. Especially if he thinks he’s going to run for president. Problem with Gavin is he’s quite stupid and unhinged from reality. So, we’ll see.


11 posted on 09/26/2025 10:21:14 PM PDT by Bullish (My tagline ran off with another man, but it's ok---- I wasn't married to it.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

FuCalifornia.


12 posted on 09/26/2025 11:02:33 PM PDT by know.your.why (</I>)
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To: MinorityRepublican

1st Amendment? Never heard of it.


13 posted on 09/26/2025 11:39:16 PM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Hasn’t it already been established that the government forcing companies to do the government’s censoring for them is a violation of the 1st amendment, same as the government doing it directly?


14 posted on 09/26/2025 11:40:59 PM PDT by EnderWiggin1970
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To: MinorityRepublican
The Jimmy Kimmel Show is filmed in Los Angeles.

Can we sue each time his monologue is posted to YouTube or Twitter?

-PJ

15 posted on 09/26/2025 11:55:39 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: MinorityRepublican

One Word:

FreeDominion(dot)com

Once FR’s Sister site... until the government got involved.


16 posted on 09/27/2025 12:30:57 AM PDT by LowOiL (In America today, it is considered worse to judge evil than to do evil - Burk Parsons)
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To: MinorityRepublican

“anti-LGBTQ+ disinformation and harmful rhetoric on major social media platforms.”

That’s already problematical. There really is no such thing. What they want to quash is truth.


17 posted on 09/27/2025 2:13:11 AM PDT by Adder (End fascism...defeat all Democrats.)
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To: MinorityRepublican

Censorship by me, but not by thee


18 posted on 09/27/2025 2:22:42 AM PDT by nuconvert ( Warning: Accused of being a radical militarist. Approach with caution.)
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To: MinorityRepublican
California wants me, lord I can't go back there.

just wondering if California can issue a warrant for my FR or other S.M. posts. Because if newscum signs the bill, ill be " Wanted waaan-ted, dead or a-live". . .

And California used to be so nice. 40 years or more ago..

19 posted on 09/27/2025 2:53:28 AM PDT by Ikeon (Kill me, and I'll become more powerful than you could ever imagine. )
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To: nuconvert

We are no doubt in the 4th spiritual great awakening. The other three had to face restrictions against different types of Christian speech. It’s another sign that it’s time to get excited for Jesus.


20 posted on 09/27/2025 2:55:57 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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