Bill Text: IL HR0637 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Urges President Joseph Biden and the United States Congress to enact measures to discourage further restraints on speech by tech companies, such as amendments to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, regulation of digital platforms as common carriers, or legislative limits on tech companies' ability to restrict free speech activity on their platforms.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-09 - Rule 19(b) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HR0637 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2021-HR0637-Introduced.html

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HR0637 LRB102 25951 MST 35333 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, In our modern world, much of our social and
political discourse has moved to digital platforms, such as
YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit; and
WHEREAS, These digital platforms have allowed any American
with an internet connection to express his or her beliefs
freely; and
WHEREAS, Because these digital platforms have become so
popular, they are now the primary location in which discourse
is conducted, with Facebook having 2.9 billion worldwide
users, YouTube having 2.3 billion, and Instagram having 1.3
billion; and
WHEREAS, This prevalence allows these platforms to
exercise far more control over Americans' lives than other
businesses; in fact, Justice Clarence Thomas recently
suggested that "There is a fair argument that some digital
platforms are sufficiently akin to common carriers or places
of accommodation to be regulated in this manner."; and
WHEREAS, As part of this online discourse, some social
media websites offer "like" and "dislike" buttons, in which
social media users can register their support or disagreement

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with what has been posted; the amount of "likes" and
"dislikes" on some sites is then displayed to other users; and
WHEREAS, On November 10, 2021, the social media and video
sharing website YouTube made the decision to no longer make
"dislike" totals visible to the public; and
WHEREAS, YouTube claimed that removal of the dislike
totals would prevent online harassment; however, the changes
appears to be politically motivated after videos on the White
House's official YouTube channel began to receive five times
as many dislikes as likes on some videos; and
WHEREAS, YouTube's efforts to inhibit the speech of
Americans to protect one political view point is harmful to
the fabric of our nation; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we urge President Joseph Biden and the United States Congress
to enact measures to discourage further restraints on speech
by tech companies, such as amendments to Section 230 of the
Communications Decency Act of 1996, regulation of digital
platforms as common carriers, or legislative limits on tech
companies' ability to restrict free speech activity on their
platforms; and be it further

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RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
delivered to President Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Majority
Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House
of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and all
members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.