Defending Democracy, Not Silencing It: Why SIIA and Partners Oppose AB 2655

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), along with the California Chamber of Commerce (CalChamber), NetChoice, TechNet, and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), urged California Governor Gavin Newsom to veto AB 2655. These organizations acknowledge the importance of addressing online election disinformation but argue that AB 2655 would not effectively achieve this goal. They contend that the bill wrongly assumes that online platforms can accurately determine manipulated content and could lead to over-blocking of political speech, infringing on First Amendment rights.

The coalition further argues that AB 2655 imposes impractical requirements on large platforms and risks excluding smaller ones where misinformation may also appear. They express concerns about the bill's enforcement provisions, which they believe could cause platforms to remove more content than necessary, including truthful election information, due to the stringent timeline for compliance and fear of liability. Instead, they advocate for AB 2355, which focuses on holding accountable those creating misleading content rather than the platforms hosting it. The letter concludes by emphasizing the need for a balanced approach that avoids chilling online political speech.