Florida Bill Would Target People for Their Views

HB 945 creates a counterintelligence unit that can surveil anyone whose "opinions are a threat" to the state. It just passed its third committee.

TL;DR:

  • Florida HB 945 creates a "Statewide Counterintelligence and Counterterrorism Unit" within the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • The bill defines "adversary intelligence entities" as anyone "whose demonstrated actions, views, or opinions are a threat or are inimical to the interests of this state"
  • The unit would conduct "direct action missions," gather intelligence, analyze "patterns of life," and make arrests
  • Cellebrite, the phone-cracking company, is the only corporate lobbyist on the bill
  • HB 945 passed three House committees and is heading to the floor. The session ends March 13.

Read the Actual Language

Here's what the bill says about who this new unit can target. This is directly from HB 945 [1]:

"Adversary intelligence entity" means any person, group, or entity, whether foreign or domestic... whose demonstrated actions, views, or opinions are a threat or are inimical to the interests of this state and the United States of America.

"Views or opinions." That's the language. Written into state law.

Not actions that are illegal. Not credible threats. Views. Opinions.

If your opinion is "inimical to the interests of this state," Florida wants the legal authority to put you under state police surveillance.

What This Unit Would Do

The bill creates a 10-person team by July 2027, eventually expanding to seven regional teams across Florida. Their powers [2]:

  • Gather intelligence on identified "adversary intelligence entities"
  • Analyze "patterns of life", that's surveillance industry jargon for tracking everything: where you go, who you meet, what you do
  • Conduct arrests
  • Execute "direct action missions" alone or with other law enforcement

The cost: $2 billion to start, with $1.5 million in recurring annual expenses [3].

That's a lot of money for a state to spend on surveilling opinions.

We've Seen This Before

Chip Gibbons, who advises state and federal lawmakers on First Amendment issues, immediately drew the comparison [4]:

COINTELPRO.

The FBI ran COINTELPRO from 1956 to 1971. They infiltrated civil rights groups. They tracked anti-war protestors. They sent fake letters to Martin Luther King Jr. trying to get him to kill himself. They surveilled anyone whose views were deemed a threat to national interests.

When Congress investigated COINTELPRO in 1975, they called it "a sophisticated vigilante operation" that "violated the constitutional rights of American citizens."

Now Florida wants to do it at the state level. With explicit legal authorization.

Even Republicans Noticed

The bill drew bipartisan pushback in committee hearings [4]. Some legislators asked the obvious questions: Why does a state need counterintelligence powers? Why would "views" make someone a target?

Rep. Danny Alvarez, the bill's sponsor, said he's willing to strip the "views or opinions" language [5]. That's an admission the language is a problem. But as of March 2026, the language remains in the bill.

The House Budget Committee passed it 20-8 on February 24 [3]. It cleared its third committee and is heading to the State Affairs Committee, its last stop before the full House floor.

The legislative session ends March 13.

Who Wants This Bill?

The lobbyist disclosure form for HB 945 lists one corporate interest: Cellebrite [4].

If you don't know Cellebrite, you should. They make phone-cracking technology used by law enforcement worldwide. Plug in a phone, Cellebrite extracts everything: messages, photos, location history, app data.

They were on Governor DeSantis's 2019 business development trip to Israel, where the company is headquartered [4].

A surveillance tech company lobbying for a bill that expands state surveillance powers. Not subtle.

It's Not Just One Bill

HB 945 has a Senate companion: SB 1712, sponsored by Sen. Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) [2].

Both bills contain the "views or opinions" language. Both are moving through their chambers.

If you live in Florida, your state legislators are voting on whether your political opinions can make you a surveillance target.

What To Do

The session ends March 13. That's not much time.

The ACLU of Florida and Equality Florida have both flagged these bills [6]. Contact them for organized opposition efforts.

The Bottom Line

Florida is trying to pass a law that explicitly authorizes state police surveillance based on your opinions.

The bill's sponsor admits the language is problematic. The surveillance industry is lobbying for it. It's already passed three committees.

If this passes in Florida, other states will notice. Bills like this spread.

The session ends March 13. Clock's ticking.

Sources

Published: March 5, 2026