Farenthold Introduces Free Speech Legislation

Most of us have left a comment online or used platforms like Yelp or TripAdvisor to post a review of a restaurant or product. However did you know that leaving a comment or posting a review can actually lead to a lawsuit. One couple in Utah was sued by retailer KlearGear after the couple posted a bad review about their quality of service. These types of frivolous lawsuits are called SLAPPs or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. My new bill, the Securing Participation, Engagement and Knowledge Freedom by Reducing Egregious Efforts or SPEAK FREE Act, would protect people who want to say what is on their mind by deterring SLAPPs and guarding against abuse in our legal system.

 The SPEAK FREE Act is based on the Texas Citizens Participation Act. Instead of having a patchwork of free speech protections across the fifty states, my bill takes the high-quality free speech protection found in Texas and applies it to the national level. We are all familiar with the phrase, “I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” In the Internet and information technology age, our First Amendment guarantee of free speech remains as important as ever. The SPEAK FREE act protects regular Americans from actors in big business and big government seeking to silence our right to publicly express our opinions.

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