The bill amends Florida Statutes sections 770.02 and 770.04 to establish new requirements and protections regarding liability for defamatory statements. Specifically, it mandates that if a defamatory article or broadcast is published on the Internet, it must be permanently removed within a specified timeframe to limit damages to actual damages only. Additionally, the bill provides immunity for certain media personnel, such as those working for newspapers or broadcasting stations, if they exercise due care to prevent the publication of defamatory statements.

Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions that clarify the liability of media outlets when defamatory statements are published online. If a media owner, licensee, or operator publishes a statement without knowledge of its falsity and later receives notice that it has been deemed false, they are required to take reasonable steps to remove it. Failure to do so will result in the continued appearance of the statement being treated as a new publication, affecting the statute of limitations for legal action. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
H 667 Filed: 770.02, 770.04