CaliforniaPersonal rights: liability: social media platforms.
What it does
Existing law generally regulates social media platforms, including by requiring a social media company to post terms of service for each social media platform owned or operated by the company in a manner reasonably designed to inform all users of the social media platform of the existence and contents of the terms of service, as prescribed.
More detail
Existing law generally prohibits a person from using violence or intimidation to interfere with another person's enjoyment of certain rights or because of certain attributes of that person, including the person's political affiliation, race, or sexual orientation, and punishes violations of that law with certain civil penalties or as misdemeanors, as prescribed.
This bill would make a social media platform, as defined, that violates the above-referenced provisions of law relating to personal rights through its algorithms that relay content to users or aids, abets, acts in concert, or conspires in violation of those laws, or is a joint tortfeasor in an action alleging a violation of those laws, liable for specified civil penalties. The bill would declare its provisions to be severable and would declare attempted waiver of its provisions to be void and unenforceable.
This bill would become operative on January 1, 2027.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed Assembly
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Mar 2Veto sustained.Latest
- Mar 2Stricken from file.
- 2025
- Oct 13In Senate. Consideration of Governor's veto pending.
- Oct 13Vetoed by the Governor Gavin Newsom.Major
- Sep 22Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11 a.m.To Governor
- Sep 11Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 30. Noes 8. Page 2919.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.Major
- Vote recorded Unfinished Business SB771 Stern et al. Concurrence. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded SB 771 Stern Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan. Result: pass.Lower
- Sep 11In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
- Sep 10Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 51. Noes 2. Page 3238.) Ordered to the Senate.Passed Assembly
- Sep 3Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- Sep 2Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Aug 29From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (August 29).Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Lower
- Aug 20August 20 set for first hearing. Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Jul 10Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Major
- Jul 9From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (July 8).Major
- Jul 8
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 25From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 11. Noes 1.) (June 24). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Jun 25Coauthors revised.
- Jun 24
- Vote recorded Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Judiciary]. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 19From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.Major
- Jun 16Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.Minor
- Jun 5In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.Minor
- Jun 4Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 29. Noes 4. Page 1519.) Ordered to the Assembly.Passed Senate
- Vote recorded 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- May 27Read second time. Ordered to third reading.Minor
- May 23Read second time and amended. Ordered to second reading.Major
- Vote recorded Do pass as amended. Result: pass.Upper
- May 23From committee: Do pass as amended. (Ayes 4. Noes 0. Page 1212.) (May 23).Major
- May 16Set for hearing May 23.
- May 12May 12 hearing: Placed on APPR. suspense file.
- Vote recorded Placed on suspense file. Result: pass.Upper
- May 2Set for hearing May 12.
- Apr 30From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 10. Noes 0. Page 943.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.Minor
- Apr 29
- Vote recorded Do pass, but first be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]. Result: pass.Upper
- Apr 22Set for hearing April 29.
- Apr 2Re-referred to Com. on JUD.Minor
- Mar 25Re-referred to Com. on RLS.Minor
- Mar 25Withdrawn from committee.Major
- Mar 24From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on ED.Major
- Mar 12Referred to Com. on ED.Minor
- Feb 24Read first time.Minor
- Feb 24From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24.
- Feb 21Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.Introduced