Golden State Today

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) unveiled today a “California Social Media Users Bill of Rights” that would declare the first set of fundamental rights and protections for users of social media platforms in the nation. The resolution is sponsored by the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED), a project of California Common Cause, designed to protect democracy from digital threats.

“Congress may have given social media companies legal immunity from the damage caused by false and hateful content, but nothing absolves them of their civic responsibility to be careful stewards of the public square, especially when it comes to protecting our children and our democracy,” said Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach), who introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 219.

Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause, added: “Social media emerged in Silicon Valley based on the hope it would bring people together, fostering the free exchange of ideas in a more connected global community. Sadly, some platforms today have instead chosen to become tools for the global transmission of hate, harassment, bullying, and disinformation.”

The Bill of Rights contained in the resolution calls for social media companies to commit to various responsibilities. Leora Gershenzon, Policy Director for CITED, stated: “With the 2024 presidential election upon us, social media platforms must move with urgency to address the threat of viral disinformation, including AI deep fakes that are already impacting elections around the world. We are grateful that Assemblymember Lowenthal is showing the way to protecting our democracy and creating a more responsible social media.”

Saanvi Arora, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Youth Power Project and a junior at UC Berkeley remarked: “As digital citizens, young Californians have experienced firsthand both the benefits and harms associated with online platforms when their focus deviates from user safety. We are all entitled to a world where online platforms can safely realize their fundamental intent: creating novel opportunities for safe expression and meaningful connection without putting any users or our democracy at risk.”

Sneha Revanur, Founder and President of Encode Justice and a junior at Stanford University said: “Our society failed to rein in exploitative social media companies when early evidence of harm emerged. In turn, our generation grew up chained to platforms that have nudged young users to suicide and allowed misinformation to fester. But social media can and should be a force for learning, connection, and discovery instead. This bill of rights would bring us closer to the online world that I want my peers and I to inhabit.”

Introduction of the California Social Media Users Bill of Rights comes just days after US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called for a warning label on social media platforms warning parents that social media use is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.

The California Social Media Users Bill of Rights will be heard this summer in both houses of the California Legislature. As a resolution, it does not require a signature by the Governor. Though it will not create new law itself, it will serve as an important blueprint for potential legislative action in future sessions.

In crafting this legislation CITED brought together leaders from technology, law, public policy, civil rights, civic engagement and academia to propose state-level actions like this resolution to address challenges posed by unregulated social media and AI on democracy and society.

For more information visit CITED.tech.

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