Florida state Rep. Randy Fine is asking Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Cabinet to scrutinize and order the “immediate divestment of any Florida-held equity and debt” with the five big tech giants.
In his letter, the Republican representative noted that Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Apple, and Google are using their platforms to target and discriminate against conservatives, a decision Fine said can be punished by the state.
“They may get to decide who they do business with. So do we,” Fine wrote.
This morning I asked the Governor and Cabinet to divest the state from Amazon, Twitter, Apple, Google, and Facebook. They may get to decide who they do business with. So do we. @Fla_Pol pic.twitter.com/QfoUhghgnP
— Rep. Randy Fine (@VoteRandyFine) January 12, 2021
While Fine said the riot at the Capitol last Wednesday was “one of the saddest days of my life,” he said big tech’s censorship campaign is an overreach.
“I am deeply disturbed to see the country’s major technology companies use the actions of these few as a pretext to silence tens of millions of good, patriotic Americans, millions of whom live here in Florida,” Fine wrote. “No matter what one thinks about President Trump, he remains the duly-elected President of the United States until noon on January 20th. If the President of the United States can be silenced by these companies, then so can anyone.”
Although Fine acknowledged that it is within big tech companies’ rights as private businesses to make decisions such as booting people off their platforms, he said Floridians also have the right to end their business dealings with those same tech giants.
“Florida taxpayers should not be forced to do business with entities that censor them,” he wrote.
Fine also announced the pending introduction of legislation prohibiting state and local governments in Florida from doing business with any of the tech tyrants he mentioned. If passed, the law would go into effect in July of this year.
