When it comes to making changes in the Golden State, Governor Gavin Newsom doesn’t get tired. On Wednesday, he announced bill AB 587, sponsored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, is a first-of-its-kind social media transparency measure to protect Californians from hate and disinformation spread online.
Reports state the bill will require social media companies to publicly post their policies regarding hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism on their platforms and report data on their enforcement of the policies. “California will not stand by as social media is weaponized to spread hate and disinformation that threaten our communities and foundational values as a country,” said Governor Newsom.
He continued, “Californians deserve to know how these platforms are impacting our public discourse, and this action brings much-needed transparency and accountability to the policies that shape the social media content we consume every day. I thank Assemblymember Gabriel for championing this important measure to protect Californians from hate, harassment, and lies spread online.”
AB 2273 also prohibits companies that provide online services, products, or features likely to be accessed by children from using a child’s personal information. This includes collecting, selling, or retaining a child’s geolocation, profiling a child by default, and leading or encouraging children to provide personal information.
In addition, the bill also requires that privacy information, terms of service, policies, and community standards be easily accessible and upheld – and requires responsive tools to help children exercise their privacy rights. The bipartisan legislation strikes a balance that protects kids and ensures that technology companies will have clear rules of the road that will allow them to continue to innovate.
Several Roommates applauded Governor Newsome for always being ahead of the curve. One commented that he’s always making moves for California, and another said he should run for President. Roommates, should more states follow Governor Newsom and adopt the bill?
