The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste (CCAGW) is expanding the multi-media advertising campaign that was launched on March 31, 2023, opposing HB 1547 and SB 262, which would impose unprecedented, heavy-handed regulations on digital advertising. The positive response from taxpayers and consumers to the first phase of the ad campaign, and the need to stop the most onerous restrictions of any state on how businesses can conduct online and digital marketing to their customers, were critical to CCAGW’s decision.

The effort to stop HB 1547 and SB 262 from being enacted into law includes television, radio, and digital ads, letters to the legislature, and activating CCAGW’s 156,139 members and supporters across the state to oppose the legislation. A November 2022 study on the economic impact of legislation like HB 1547 and SB 262 found that small publishers and advertisers would lose 50 to 70 percent of their revenues, and large platforms would increase their competitive advantage.

CCAGW President Tom Schatz said, “The impact of this legislation on digital advertising would devastate small businesses by making it more difficult to connect online with new customers and compete against larger companies. Targeted ads make it easier to reach customers and provide them with what they want. If either bill is enacted into law, consumers would see fewer ads for products that they have previously purchased, local publishers would see a drop in digital advertising revenue, and small businesses would find it harder and more expensive to reach customers online. It would also give the government more control over what consumers see or hear online by restricting targeted advertising intended to meet their needs.”

States like Florida have enacted laws and promulgated regulations that have led to strong economic growth and attracted residents from other states. Overzealous and perhaps uninformed Florida legislators who are trying to pass HB 1547 and SB 262 may not realize the adverse impact of these bills on the economy. CCAGW will continue to work hard to stop the enactment of these bills to prevent Florida from becoming more like California.

The Council for Citizens Against Government Waste is the lobbying arm of Citizens Against Government Waste, the nation’s largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

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