Cruz and Wyden Introduce Bipartisan JAWBONE Act to Combat Government Censorship
U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) introduced the JAWBONE Act, legislation designed to prevent federal agencies from pressuring broadcasters and tech platforms into restricting speech. The bill creates a private right of action allowing individuals to sue government officials for damages when their speech is suppressed through indirect government coercion. The measure addresses concerns about both Biden-era COVID-19 misinformation suppression efforts and recent Trump administration pressure on TV networks.
The Justice Against Weaponized Bureaucratic Overreach to Networked Expression (JAWBONE) Act, unveiled Thursday by Senators Cruz and Wyden, would prohibit federal agencies and employees from coercing broadcasters, social media platforms, and AI services into restricting content. The bill creates a private right of action allowing victims of "jawboning"—indirect censorship through government pressure on third parties—to recover compensatory damages in court, with enforcement also available to state attorneys general. The legislation addresses specific recent examples including FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's pressure on TV networks regarding Jimmy Kimmel's comments and Biden administration efforts to suppress COVID-19 and election-related posts on social media. The bill requires government agencies to disclose communications with platforms about content decisions and establishes monetary (but not punitive) damages. The proposal has garnered endorsements from major civil liberties organizations including the ACLU, FIRE, the Knight First Amendment Institute, and the Center for Democracy and Technology, and represents the first major bipartisan effort on this issue, building on earlier attempts by Republican senators.
How coverage differed
Reason magazine frames the bill as a response to censorship by both administrations, explicitly criticizing Trump's recent demands against Jimmy Kimmel while condemning Biden-era suppression, emphasizing the need for "consistent and principled" free speech protection. Ars Technica and Roll Call present the bill more neutrally as addressing government pressure from both periods without the same editorial commentary on Trump's current conduct.
What different sources said
- Roll CallCenter
Bipartisan bill targets government censorship threats
- ReasonRight
Two Senators Offer a Bipartisan Solution to Censorship by Proxy
- Ars TechnicaCenter
Ted Cruz and Ron Wyden try to fight censorship with bipartisan JAWBONE Act
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