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Advocates Hope Requiring Social Media Companies To Disclose Harassment Policies Will Help Curtail Extremism And Misinformation
A new California law requires big social media companies to disclose harassment policies on their platforms.
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Topline:
A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom forces social media companies to disclose harassment policies for their platforms.
Why now: Kendall Kosai with the Anti-Defamation League says the group pushed for the bill to help combat the growing presence of online hate and harassment. He says the information will be the foundation for future legislation aiming to curtail online hate, extremism, and misinformation.
"We have to really start by understanding the scope of the problem. And like the importance of gathering data on hate crime, this bill has a tremendous value to public safety by really giving us a better look at the trends."
What it covers: In addition to publicly posting terms of service, the bill requires social media companies to submit reports to the state's Attorney General by January 2024. The law only applies to social media companies with at least a $100 million in annual gross revenue.
Read the bill: AB 587 (signed by Newsom on Tuesday, Sept. 13)
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