Michigan GOP want to ban social media companies from removing politicians' accounts

(Detroit Free Press) A handful of Michigan Republican lawmakers support creating new regulations that would ban large, private social media platforms from removing the accounts of political candidates that violate their terms of service.

The measure comes about one year after Facebook and Twitter banned former President Donald Trump, suggesting some of his posts after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol could incite further violence.

It's unclear that the proposal is enforceable and it may be unconstitutional: a federal judge in Florida blocked the implementation of a similar bill in that state, saying it likely violated free speech protections enshrined in the First Amendment among other issues.

The Michigan bill would also establish new government restrictions on businesses, something conservatives frequently oppose. ..............(more)

https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2022/02/08/michigan-deplatforming-trump-twitter/6696100001/