DeSantis Sets the National Precedent with New Digital Laws. What Does it Mean for You?

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared new digital rights that the state will uphold in order to better shield Floridians from Big Tech censorship and surveillance.

He's banking on the conservative-led privacy panic. And It seems like he's lagging a decade behind the actual development of modern technology.

Behind the actual change

The current “Digital Bill of Rights” will preserve rights for those who use specific platforms to further "protect Floridians from Big Tech harm and Big Tech overreaches."

"We want to protect your right as a Floridian to have private, in-person conversations without Big Tech surveilling you," DeSantis said on Wednesday. "If you want to consent to let them have this information so they can sell fashion advertising based off of it, it’s your right to consent to do so, but it should only be if you consent."

However, it seems like DeSantis is failing to understand the issue at hand. Some of the privacy concerns have been eliminated on most devices and platforms. Apple has already won its war against data-gathering apps. European GDPR laws have been active and effective for years now. And most people give away consent because they fail to read the terms and conditions.

Platforms don't eavesdrop to display advertising anymore. Big tech is getting much smarter.

DeSantis elaborated on each issue, noting that Florida's government would no longer permit tech companies to gather data from personal conversations. It's possible DeSantis is passing these laws so he can shield himself from any social exclusion if he decides to run for President in 2024.

The new enemy

DeStantis needs a new enemy to stay relevant on the national level.

And it seems like he really thinks that all these companies eavesdrop to make money. Most of the big platforms don't use cookies anymore, let alone hijack mics to sell you liberal-fashion boots. Again, they have far different ways of analyzing the market now, and it has all been tried in court many times over.

The real problems with big tech are different and complex, too complex to cover in this piece.

But DeSantis is trying to present it like it's a simple problem that needs a simple solution. The solution is to make big tech stop eavesdropping on your private conversations, according to DeSantis.

"We want to protect the right to know how these internet search engines are manipulating search results [and have] transparency in terms of what they’re doing so you can evaluate if that’s a search engine that you want to use, or maybe you want to take your business elsewhere," he said.

The Florida governor explained that while private companies are "free to do it if you utilize their product," the federal government is constitutionally required to obtain a court warrant before listening in on these devices through a wiretap.

"So, we’re going to put in a roadblock that says they can’t do that without your expressed authorization," DeSantis added.

He pointed out that his government has been actively campaigning against Big Tech and its ability to censor users and that the new Digital Bill of Rights is part of that effort.

What do you think about DeSantis's war on big tech?

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