New Delhi: Instagram, TikTok, and other popular social media platforms may soon be liable to lawsuits from parents concerned about their children’s addiction, as per a bill that passed the California state assembly on Monday, as reported by the Associated Press. The bill proposes that parents can sue social media platforms for harming children for up to $25,000 per violation. As per business groups, the bill, if passed, may lead to social media firms ceasing operations for young users in California, rather than facing a legal risk.
Which companies will the bill be applicable for?
As mentioned, social media companies may face lawsuits of up to $25,000 per violation. The proposed bill will only be applicable to firms that had at least $100 million in gross revenue last year. It can be speculated that the bill aims to crack down on social media giants such as Facebook and TikTok.
It should be noted that the proposed bill won’t be applicable to OTT services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime, or to platforms that only offer email and text-messaging services.
How does the bill define addiction?
Under the bill, “addiction” is defined as users under 18, who are both harmed — physically, mentally, emotionally, developmentally, or materially — and who are unable to stop or reduce the time they spend on social media platforms as they are addicted to them.
When will the bill take effect? What can social media companies do?
The bill will now head to the California Senate, where it will face hearings and negotiations among lawmakers and advocates for weeks. If the bill becomes law, it will take effect on January 1.
Social media firms can choose to removed features considered addictive to young users by April 1 to avoid being responsible for damages.
Companies can also conduct regular audits to identify and remove features that could be deemed “addictive” to children.