Bill > AB1137

This bill strengthens reporting and review mechanisms for child sexual abuse material on social media platforms in California. It modifies existing law to require social media platforms to provide a clear and conspicuous reporting mechanism for users to report child sexual abuse material, removing the previous requirement that the reporting user must be depicted in the material. The bill mandates that platforms review reported content through a hash matching process, and if no established hash match exists, ensure a human review of the material. Social media companies will now face civil penalties for non-compliance, with potential fines up to $250,000 per day for an unavailable or non-functional reporting mechanism. The legislation also introduces new provisions requiring platforms to submit to third-party audits twice a year and publicly release audit reports to demonstrate their efforts in preventing the spread of child sexual abuse material. Additionally, the bill allows depicted individuals to seek damages if a platform fails to properly handle reports of child sexual abuse material, with potential statutory damages ranging from $75,000 to $250,000 depending on the platform's compliance with specific safety protocols. The goal of the bill is to create more robust protections for minors and accountability for social media platforms in addressing child sexual abuse material.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1137