CFO Jimmy Patronis Issues Directive Barring Use of Censorship Organizations at Florida Agency  

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Today, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis issued a directive to the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS), which the CFO oversees, barring the use of censorship and blacklisting services, like NewsGuard Technologies, Inc., that attach “credibility ratings” to news sources. Adverse ratings can diminish a legitimate news source’s reputation and advertising revenue, often intentionally, and are known to apply according to subjective factors, like political bias, not factual inaccuracies. The directive bars both the Department and its contractors from utilizing censorship media-monitoring services when making ad-buys or marketing placements for Departmental services. For the full directive, click HERE.

CFO Jimmy Patronis said, “This directive is aimed at holding censorship and blacklisting groups accountable. This year we’ll be launching media campaigns on protecting the public from insurance fraud and educating Floridians on the services DFS provides, and we need maximum returns on those dollars. We don’t need so-called media-monitoring groups being middlemen and burning up cash needlessly when we’re trying to get the best returns on our investments. No taxpayer money from my agency will fund censorship on my watch, and no Florida business should suffer simply because it expresses views that these groups don’t like. Such news and information ratings activities appear to be part of a larger effort to create social credit scores, similar to ESG, that result in debanking and deplatforming legitimate private entities. That’s wrong, and I will use my authority as CFO to protect businesses and consumers against these abusive tactics.”

During the 2024 state legislative session, CFO Patronis supported a Consumer Protection measure that would have barred the State of Florida from using or contracting with any media censorship organization for promotional activities. In addition, the CFO helped secured $3 million for the Department of Financial Services for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 for marketing and educational campaigns that support consumers and insurance policyholders in Florida.

FULL DIRECTIVE BELOW

WHEREAS, Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis oversees the Florida Department of Financial Services, and the Department serves millions of state consumers and taxpayers through over 10 divisions and additional initiatives set forth by the CFO; and

WHEREAS, CFO Patronis has established rigorous priorities to assist Floridians, including fighting fraud, consumer protection, fiscal transparency, and return on investment of public funds; and

WHEREAS, CFO Patronis recognizes that First Amendment protections such as freedom of speech and freedom of the press are foundational American rights, critical to democracy, and must be safeguarded against illegitimate infringement; and

WHEREAS, organizations like NewsGuard Technologies, Inc., the Global Disinformation Index, Graphika Technologies, Inc., and other similar organizations are attaching largely subjective “credibility ratings” and “misinformation” labels to news sources; and

WHEREAS, such ratings, labels and misinformation branding are often rooted in political disagreements, subjective biases, and viewpoint discrimination, rather than factual inaccuracies, thereby amounting to censorship and blacklisting; and

WHEREAS, news source blacklisting means placing a news source on a list, or creating ratings systems and scores, indicating a news source is not considered credible or reliable; and

WHEREAS, such censorship and blacklisting activities also occur under the stated function of “fact checking” and removing misinformation; and

WHEREAS, targeted news sources may suffer diminished advertising revenues, often intentionally, as a result of NewsGuard and other similar organizations’ censorship and blacklisting activities; and

WHEREAS, censorship-oriented credibility ratings are similar to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) ratings, which are deeply undemocratic and have resulted in the “debanking” and “deplatforming” of legitimate private entities, and

WHEREAS, a federal lawsuit by the Consortium for Independent Journalism cited a $750,000 NewsGuard contract with the U.S. Department of Defense and subsequent adverse credibility ratings for news sources that accurately reported on the Biden administration agency; and

WHEREAS, NewsGuard was investigated by the U.S. House Oversight Committee for its relationships with federal agencies, and its apparent failure to maintain a professed nonpartisan approach in light of “highly partisan social media activities by NewsGuard employees;” and

WHEREAS, CFO Patronis supported a provision in House Bill 939 during Florida’s 2024 Legislative Session, a Consumer Protection measure that would have barred the State of Florida from contracting with, or utilizing, any censorship organization for promotional activities; and

WHEREAS, under CFO Patronis’ leadership, the Department of Financial Services secured $3 million for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 for marketing and educational campaigns to support consumers and insurance policyholders in Florida.

WHEREAS, CFO Patronis and the Florida Department of Financial Services are committed to protecting First Amendment rights, promoting transparency, protecting consumers and small businesses, and ensuring taxpayer resources are not weaponized to effectively blacklist any Florida businesses or news services.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal of the State of Florida does hereby direct:

1. All divisions within the Department of Financial Services that utilize promotional contracts for marketing and/or public education campaigns may not enter into or renew a contract or agreement with an entity for the purpose of developing, providing or using news source censorship or blacklisting services.
2. All divisions within the Department of Financial Services that utilize promotional contracts for marketing and/or public education campaigns may not use, or allow a contractor to use, censorship or blacklisting services for ad-buys and/or marketing placements.
3. That the Chief Financial Officer and the Department’s Division of Accounting and Auditing may issue statements and memos to state agencies pertaining to claims for payments, without rulemaking, pursuant to Florida Statutes, 120.52(16)(c).

IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF the Chief Financial Officer of the State of Florida has hereunto subscribed his name on the 31^st day of July 2024.

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About CFO Jimmy Patronis

Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal Jimmy Patronis is a statewide elected official and a member of Florida’s Cabinet who oversees the Department of Financial Services. CFO Patronis works each day to fight insurance fraud, support Florida’s firefighters, and ensure the state’s finances are stable to support economic growth in the state. Follow the activities of the Department on Facebook (FLDFS) and X (@FLDFS).