Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association today offered comments in opposition to two proposed Tennessee laws, SB 1299/HB 1504 and SB 111/HB 682, which would seek to prevent digital services from removing certain content published on their platforms. CCIA raised concerns regarding constitutionality, potential conflicts with federal law, and impeding online businesses in their efforts to restrict inappropriate or harmful content on their services.
CCIA emphasized that digital services invest significant resources into developing and carrying out content moderation practices that protect users from harmful or offensive content, and said that under these proposed Tennessee measures, these digital services would not have the flexibility to address new challenges they may face.
CCIA has advocated for First Amendment rights online for more than 25 years. The following may be attributed to CCIA State Policy Director Khara Boender:
“Along with prohibiting illegal content, many digital services implement mechanisms to monitor and remove content that may pose risks to their users such as posts that encourage young people to engage in self-harm or other dangerous behaviors. While it is not explicitly illegal to engage in cyberbullying, or to evangelize on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party, many digital services remove such content to foster safer online communities and create a more desirable user experience consistent with their established terms of service. Similar laws established in Texas and Florida are now facing legal challenges due to questions surrounding constitutionality – Tennessee should not follow in these footsteps.”