Cruz and Wyden bill lets Americans sue feds for censorship
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Time
- 10:08 PM
- Weight
- 94/100
U.S. Senators Ted Cruz and Ron Wyden have introduced the JAWBONE Act, a bipartisan bill designed to prevent federal officials from pressuring tech platforms and broadcasters to censor protected speech.
The legislation, formally titled the Justice Against Weaponized Bureaucratic Overreach to Networked Expression Act, targets the practice of "jawboning," where government agencies or employees coerce private companies into removing or restricting content. By establishing a private right of action, the bill would allow individuals to sue federal officials for compensatory damages, regardless of whether the government’s pressure successfully resulted in content being taken down.