Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Digital Bill of Rights to Safeguard Privacy Online
Jose Nino
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On June 7, 2023, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s data privacy law, which made it the 10th state to pass such legislation.
Similar to other states that have privacy legislation on the books, Florida’s law safeguards users’ rights, which includes the right to know what data is being gathered and the right to get certain data erased. It grants users the ability to opt out of personal data collection through voice recognition. On top of that, the law categorizes geolocation information and biometric data as personal information.
Additionally, the law prohibits the collection of data from minors. It does so by prohibiting services, products, and games from collecting, processing, retaining, sharing, or selling “any personal information that is not necessary to provide an online service, product, or feature.”
The law prevents businesses from processing, using, or selling sensitive data without a user’s consent. It labels sensitive data as “an individual’s race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, mental or physical health diagnosis, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration status; genetic or biometric data processed for the purpose of uniquely identifying an individual; personal data from a known child; and precise geolocation data.”
“If a multibillion-dollar company is conspiring to take your data and sell it or use it against you, it is your right to be able to protect that data,” DeSantis declared in a statement. “No longer will the Big Tech oligarchs be able to commandeer your personal information and deprive you of the right to access, confirm, or delete that data as you wish.”
The legislation additionally bars government employees from working with social media platforms to censor content or suspend accounts.
This kind of legislation is an absolute must in this era of mass censorship. The private sector had to learn that it cannot function as a private arm of the Deep State. It must respect all the constitutional freedoms that Americans generally enjoy.
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