Paul Lekas, SIIA Senior Vice President of Global Public Policy, issued this statement:
“SIIA is disappointed that the Senate Judiciary Committee voted this morning to advance the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) in its current form. Despite the noble goal of supporting local news and preserving strong, independent journalism, the bill offends bedrock principles of the First Amendment by compelling online platforms to publish and pay for all information, regardless of content. As SIIA has conveyed to the Committee, by prohibiting the use of basic content moderation policies, the JCPA would destroy the ability of private businesses to make their own First Amendment-protected decisions about what information they wish to publish and how. The amendments approved by the Committee today do not address these fundamental concerns. For these reasons, SIIA continues to oppose floor consideration of the bill in its current form.”
