FL Bill Blocks State Agencies From Contracting With Media Censors
In a recent move, Florida Governor Ron desantis signed into law a provision in the state’s budget for fiscal year 2026 that bans state agencies from using taxpayer money to contract with marketing and advertising firms that employ services deemed as “media reliability or bias monitors,” such as NewsGuard.This measure aims to prevent state funds from being spent on companies that, according to critics, have a history of favoring certain media narratives over others and may unfairly target conservative and independent media outlets.
The legislation comes amid ongoing discussions about media censorship and the influence of government on free speech. NewsGuard, which received a grant from the Department of Defense to develop its technology, has faced criticism for allegedly suppressing conservative viewpoints. The law will remain effective until July 1, 2026. It reflects broader concerns regarding first Amendment rights and the perception of bias in media monitoring services that could influence public discourse.
Florida’s FY 2026 budget includes a provision that prohibits state agencies from using taxpayer dollars to contract with advertising and marketing companies that act as or use “media reliability or bias monitors” services, like censorship group NewsGuard.
The measure, included in a budget bill Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday, “prevents state agencies from entering contracts with advertising agencies and marketing firms that use politically biased media monitoring services like NewsGuard, Ad Fontes,” and the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), according to a press release from the Independent Media Council.
“These monitoring groups purport to be impartial, but consistently skew their ratings to target conservative and independent media from receiving advertising from major brands,” the release adds.
NewsGuard’s “Misinformation Fingerprints” technology was developed with the help of a $750,000 grant funded by the Department of Defense, as The Federalist’s Margot Cleveland reported. The group’s “False Claim Fingerprints” technology is currently marketed to social media, AI, and other tech companies to trace and flag “misinformation.”
During Biden’s presidency, The Federalist, The Daily Wire, and the state of Texas sued the U.S. State Department for funding GDI and NewsGuard, claiming it “violate[ed] the U.S. Constitution by funding technology to silence Americans who question government claims.” The case is pending. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this year announced the abolishment of the organization that helped fund GDI and NewsGuard, but an activist judge in California recently interfered in his efforts to downsize at the State Department.
The House Oversight Committee also launched an investigation into NewsGuard’s government contracts and into concerns that the company suppressed speech.
The measure signed by DeSantis comes roughly one year after the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to green-light the federal government’s Big Tech censorship scheme in Murthy v. Missouri. In his dissent, Justice Alito rebuked the court for refusing to address the “serious threat to the First Amendment” posed by government officials and tech companies colluding to suppress speech. The measure also comes after Florida’s former CFO issued a directive to the state’s Department of Financial Services last July barring the agency from utilizing censorship groups like NewsGuard.
The measure signed Monday will remain in place for the 2026 fiscal year, expiring July 1, 2026, according to the legislation.
DeSantis’ office did not return The Federalist’s request for comment.
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