PHOENIX – On Monday, the Senate Transportation and Technology Committee approved Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita’s bill, SB1687, which will prohibit any governmental entity in Arizona from using a social media platform for any official or governmental purpose.
The bill passed, after much discussion, on a bipartisan vote.
“I am quite conflicted on this bill,” said Sen. Victoria Steele (D-9). “I too think it’s really important conversation to have, and I thank Senator Ugenti-Rita for bringing it forward and getting it started. I am concerned about it for some of the reasons I mentioned. I have also become increasingly concerned with the control people like Mark Zuckerberg have over the freedom of our speech, and it makes me really concerned that he and others of his ilk would have further control over our government. That’s just that’s kind of scary to me. I see that happening and I do think it’s time for us to take a pause and really think about it. So, for those reasons I will vote yes on SB1687.”
As a growing number of politicians and members of the public find themselves shadow banned, have their use otherwise restricted, or reject the invasiveness of social media platforms, platforms like Twitter and Facebook have become more like private clubs rather than public squares.
As a result of this trend, only certain people are being served by current statutes that require a notice of intent to establish or increase taxes, assessments or fees to be distributed through a municipality’s social media accounts if they use those forms of communication.
Many municipalities and other government entities have come to rely almost solely on social media platforms when it comes to communicating with the public, leaving non-users left out and in the dark about what their government is doing.
SB1687 Provisions:
1. Prohibits a governmental entity, at any level, from using a social media platform for any official governmental purpose.
2. Prohibits a governmental entity from giving or controlling a social media account to or for an elected official.
3. Specifies that these prohibitions do not apply to a personal social media account operated by an elected official.