1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

To: Members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives The Issue: A free, independent press and unhindered public discourse are the cornerstones of a self-governing society. When journalists are legally harassed, whistleblowers are hunted, and legitimate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests are buried by government agencies, democracy fails. Kevin Kiley Furthermore, our digital public square is being subverted. The deliberate use of public offices to manufacture state-sponsored propaganda, alongside backroom corporate collusion to manipulate social media algorithms, has weaponized information. When digital platforms use opaque algorithms to secretly throttle, shadowban, or suppress accurate, factual reporting simply because it is politically inconvenient, it is a direct assault on the First Amendment. Freedom of speech is meaningless if corporate algorithms are permitted to enforce a monopoly on truth. The Demand: We, the undersigned, demand that Congress immediately pass comprehensive legislation to protect the press, enforce public transparency, and hold digital platforms accountable by codifying the following measures: 1 Pass a Federal Shield Law (The PRESS Act) for the Digital Age: Establish absolute statutory protection prohibiting the federal government—and social media platforms via government pressure or subpoena—from forcing journalists to disclose confidential sources or targeting their phone, email, digital accounts, and private messages. 2 Criminalize State-Sponsored Propaganda and Platform Collusion: Establish an independent, non-partisan oversight body to investigate systemic gaslighting and propaganda campaigns conducted by public agencies. Implement severe financial penalties and administrative termination for officials who use taxpayer-funded offices—or exploit private algorithmic platforms—to intentionally mislead the public. 3 Prohibit Algorithmic Censorship of Factual Speech: Explicitly outlaw the use of engagement algorithms, shadowbanning, or artificial reach-throttling by digital platforms to suppress or hide speech that is factually accurate. Mandate that platforms provide users with clear, simple opt-outs to completely disable algorithmic curation in favor of a purely chronological feed. 4 End FOIA Obstruction and Delays: Reform the Freedom of Information Act to eliminate bad-faith denials. Automatically fine agencies that exceed statutory deadlines without a verifiable, legally sound reason, and lower the threshold for mandatory disclosure. 5 Mandatory Protection of Victim Identities: Codify federal privacy mandates that strictly forbid law enforcement, government agencies, and public institutions from releasing the names, locations, or identifying details of victims of violent crimes or exploitation without their explicit, written consent. 6 Enforce Platform Transparency and a Right to Sue: Create a federal cause of action allowing journalists, independent creators, and citizens to sue both government officials and digital platforms that coordinate to unlawfully censor, tag, or suppress their lawful speech. Mandate full, public audit trails for all corporate content moderation decisions. Transparency is a right, not a corporate or political favor. We demand our representatives protect the truth, defend the press, and punish algorithmic deception.