FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 18, 2023
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:Noelle Garnier202-891-7843presscenter@nrb.org
NRB Joins Lawsuit Against Attorney General of California
NRB joins The Babylon Bee, Tim Pool, and Minds, Inc. to Block Enforcement of Censorship Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NRB) —The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) association—a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent hundreds of millions of listeners, viewers, and readers—has joined a lawsuit alongside plaintiffs The Babylon Bee, Tim Pool, and Minds, Inc., to block AB 587, a California law that would require social media companies to report content deemed “hate speech” and “disinformation” to the government.
“We are proud to act on behalf of NRB members who would be impacted by or required to comply with this censorship law,” said Troy A. Miller, President & CEO of NRB. “In an environment where much religious viewpoint expression is considered ‘controversial’ speech, NRB is acting to stop the weaponization of new laws against Christian communicators.”
“The time-honored approach to speech that is thought to be untrue or dishonorable is to create more speech and let the public judge who has made the better case,” said Michael P. Farris, NRB general counsel. “The pages of history demonstrate that government efforts to control speech on the claim of protecting truth or decorum inevitably lead to tyranny. A free people should never be afraid of more speech.”
The lawsuit seeks to block the enforcement of a mechanism that will be used under the force of law in the state of California to require social media companies to file reports to the California Attorney General on categories of speech published on their platforms, including misinformation, disinformation, extremism, radicalization, and hate speech. These reporting obligations would be enforced through fines for noncompliance of up to $15,000 per violation per day.
The amended complaint with NRB as a plaintiff was filed on May 15, 2023. View the amended complaint here. In joining this suit as a plaintiff on an associational basis, NRB’s participation broadens the class of plaintiffs that are affected. Like the original plaintiffs, some NRB members will be affected by this law by having their speech repressed. Other NRB members, having to directly comply with the statute, would become agents of the state for First Amendment suppression. This is something that NRB is unwilling to allow.
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About NRB
NRB is a nonpartisan, international association of Christian communicators whose member organizations represent millions of listeners, viewers, and readers. NRB’s mission is twofold: To protect the free speech rights of our members to speak Biblical truth, by advocating those rights in governmental, corporate, and media sectors; and to foster excellence, integrity, and accountability in our membership by providing networking, educational, ministry, and relational opportunities. Learn more at www.nrb.org.
About the NRB Convention
The annual NRB International Christian Media Convention is the largest nationally and internationally recognized event dedicated solely to assist those in the field of Christian communications. The dynamic and award-winning Exposition consists of dozens of organizations and is an active marketplace for those seeking products and services to enhance their own organization. The upcoming Convention will be held at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Florida, May 22-25, 2023. For more information, go to www.nrbconvention.org.
