One of these bills includes Senate Bill 262, also known as Florida’s “Digital Bill of Rights.” This piece of legislation provides citizens with the following rights:
- The right to confirm, access and delete personal data from social platforms
- The right to personal data not being used against them when purchasing a home, obtaining health insurance or being hired
- The right to know how Internet search engines use search results
- The right to opt out of having personal data sold
- The right to protect children from personal data collection
“The legislation also requires Google and other large search engines to disclose whether they prioritize search results based on political ideology,” a press release from the governor’s office states. “Additionally, SB 262 prevents government-led censorship by prohibiting state or local government employees from colluding with big tech companies to censor protected speech.”
Other notable tech bills that will go into effect:
- HB 1555 will revise Cyber Florida’s mission and goals to allow the center to conduct, fund and facilitate research and applied science to create new technologies and software packages that have military and civilian applications and conduct, consult on or assist any state-funded initiatives related to cybersecurity training, professional development and education for state and local government employees.
- HB 1565, the “Florida Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative,” will require the initiative to develop recommendations for the deployment of specific technologies and submit a report to the Department of Environmental Protection, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and other specified state agencies.
- SB 1680 will create a Government Technology Modernization Council within the Department of Management Services “to study and monitor the development and deployment of new technologies and provide reports on recommendations for procurement and regulation of such systems to the governor.”
- HB 919 will require disclaimers for political ads, electioneering communications or other miscellaneous advertisements that use AI.
- SB 1616 will require certain information to be publicly available through a searchable database on a county recorder or court clerk’s official website.
- HB 275 will codify criminal penalties for unauthorized individuals who tamper with critical infrastructure. For example, individuals who unlawfully tamper with critical infrastructure and cause significant damage will now be charged with second-degree felonies, while individuals who tamper with computers, computer systems, networks or electronic devices will face third-degree felony charges.
More information about these bills can be found online.
