HR0637 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0637 LRB102 25951 MST 35333 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In our modern world, much of our social and political discourse has moved to digital platforms, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit; and

WHEREAS, These digital platforms have allowed any American with an internet connection to express his or her beliefs freely; and

WHEREAS, Because these digital platforms have become so popular, they are now the primary location in which discourse is conducted, with Facebook having 2.9 billion worldwide users, YouTube having 2.3 billion, and Instagram having 1.3 billion; and

WHEREAS, This prevalence allows these platforms to exercise far more control over Americans' lives than other businesses; in fact, Justice Clarence Thomas recently suggested that "There is a fair argument that some digital platforms are sufficiently akin to common carriers or places of accommodation to be regulated in this manner."; and

WHEREAS, As part of this online discourse, some social media websites offer "like" and "dislike" buttons, in which social media users can register their support or disagreement with what has been posted; the amount of "likes" and "dislikes" on some sites is then displayed to other users; and

WHEREAS, On November 10, 2021, the social media and video sharing website YouTube made the decision to no longer make "dislike" totals visible to the public; and

WHEREAS, YouTube claimed that removal of the dislike totals would prevent online harassment; however, the changes appears to be politically motivated after videos on the White House's official YouTube channel began to receive five times as many dislikes as likes on some videos; and

WHEREAS, YouTube's efforts to inhibit the speech of Americans to protect one political view point is harmful to the fabric of our nation; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge President Joseph Biden and the United States Congress to enact measures to discourage further restraints on speech by tech companies, such as amendments to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, regulation of digital platforms as common carriers, or legislative limits on tech companies' ability to restrict free speech activity on their platforms; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to President Joseph Biden, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.