A new bill takes aim at government pressure to silence lawful online speech(eff.org)
282 points by hn_acker 18 hours ago | 124 comments
tl;dr: Senators Cruz and Wyden introduced the bipartisan JAWBONE Act, which creates a federal cause of action against government officials who coerce platforms, broadcasters, or AI providers into suppressing lawful speech, and mandates transparency for such communications. EFF supports the bill, citing recent examples like the Trump administration pressuring Apple to remove the ICEBlock app, while cautioning that not all government-platform communication is coercive and that platforms retain their own First Amendment right to moderate content.
HN Discussion:
  • Appreciates the clever JAWBONE acronym and bipartisan staffer effort
  • ~Notes irony that Cruz co-sponsors a bill protecting apps like ICEBlock
  • Reminds readers the bill is bipartisan and EFF supports it, pushing back on knee-jerk reactions
  • Worries the bill could prevent legitimate government efforts to counter dangerous misinformation like anti-vax content
  • Emphasizes platforms have their own First Amendment moderation rights, echoing the article's caveat