ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Congressman Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee, presented legislation to a subcommittee on Capitol Hill Wednesday that would penalize identity imposters and provide “legal remedies " for anyone whose identities are “used online without their consent.”
“We know how the internet can be the wild west, Soto told News 6. “People can pass as you or any number of our neighbors.”
The News 6 investigation into the racial slurs linked to UCF student Alex Bugay by an imposter was presented to Soto last November.
Soto’s team reviewed the WKMG-TV report and developed the SHIELD Act, an aggressive legislative action that would “prohibit and establish penalties for the use of an identity of another without authorization.”
“The SHIELD Act will allow people to shield themselves from this identity theft by creating a duty by the internet company to take down false information – as someone posing as an innocent individual,” Soto told News 6.
The veteran congressman sighted the Bugay investigation during the subcommittee hearing Wednesday morning.
Carrie Goldberg, founder of the Victim’s Rights Law Firm, testified that without the SHIELD Act: “The man in Florida, (Bugay), would have no rights to go after the platform that was knowingly publishing the personal content.”
The posts on X, formerly Twitter, issued racial slurs against State Rep. Mesha Mainor of Georgia from what appeared to be Alex Bugay’s UCF email.
The fallout cost Bugay his medical internship with Orlando Health after Rep. Mainor reposted a string of the vulgar hate posts directed at her by the Bugay imposter.
Even after she admitted the posts had nothing to do with Bugay, the UCF senior was unable to continue his internship.
Soto said the Bugay case Is compelling but there will be several steps before the legislation gets to the finish line.
In a press release issued Tuesday, his staff cited the collaboration with News 6, writing in part:
Rep. Soto began working with WKMG News 6 to find solutions to this issue after reports of affected Central Floridians became public. In April, Rep. Soto brought these stories to light during a Communications & Technology Subcommittee hearing and vowed to introduce legislation to help victims.
Rep. Soto's office
Soto told News 6 his team has “strategized” that the SHIELD Act would be a better fit for the privacy legislation that will be reviewed in a subcommittee hearing Thursday.
“That legislation has a better chance of passing right now,” Soto said.
Thursday’s Innovation, Data and Commerce “Mark-up” hearing is set for 10 a.m. There will be a discussion of language and amendments for three bills, including the American Privacy Rights Acts.
A spokesperson for Soto’s office told News 6 the proposed language will allow social media platforms to remove fraudulent posts immediately.
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