Golden State Today

Assemblymember Lowenthal proposes new "California Social Media Users Bill of Rights"

SACRAMENTO – Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) today introduced a “California Social Media Users Bill of Rights,” aiming to establish fundamental rights and protections for social media users. The resolution, sponsored by the California Initiative for Technology and Democracy (CITED), a project of California Common Cause, seeks to safeguard 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, who introduced Assembly Concurrent Resolution 219.

Jonathan Mehta Stein, executive director of California Common Cause, commented: “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 in the resolution calls for social media companies to:

- Keep platforms free from content that could cause substantial physical or emotional harm, especially to children.

- Provide accurate information regarding elections and democratic procedures.

- Offer reasonable ways for users to report violations and keep them informed about complaint outcomes.

- Consider the wide range of ages and languages spoken by users internationally.

- Set initial user settings to provide maximum privacy protections.

- Strictly protect children's data with easy-to-use tools for parents.

- Allow users easy access to their personal data with options for correction or deletion.

- Provide clear usage, privacy policies, and prohibit use of user-generated content without consent for AI training.

- Study negative effects of algorithms and AI tools on users with independent experts.

- Explain how algorithms are used for retaining users and offer control over feed content.

“With the 2024 presidential election upon us, social media platforms must move with urgency to address the threat of viral disinformation,” said Leora Gershenzon, Policy Director for CITED. “We are grateful that Assemblymember Lowenthal is showing the way to protecting our democracy.”

Saanvi Arora from Youth Power Project stated: “As digital citizens, young Californians have experienced firsthand both the benefits and harms associated with online platforms.” Arora is a junior at UC Berkeley.

Sneha Revanur from Encode Justice added: “Our society failed to rein in exploitative social media companies when early evidence of harm emerged.” Revanur is a junior at Stanford University.

This initiative follows US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy's call for warning labels on social media due to mental health risks for adolescents. The resolution will be reviewed this summer in both houses of the California Legislature. Although it does not create new law as a resolution requiring no gubernatorial signature, it aims to guide future legislative action.

CITED has collaborated with leaders across various sectors including technology, law, public policy, civil rights, civic engagement, and academia in crafting this legislation. For more information visit CITED.tech.