SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) — California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill that will punish social media platforms and other web services for "knowingly facilitating, aiding, or abetting commercial sexual exploitation” of children.
Assembly Bill 1394 — written by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat — allows a judge to assess statutory damages of between $1 million and $4 million for each instance of commercial sexual exploitation that were aided, abetted or facilitated by a social media platform. If that platform knowingly or recklessly did so, the damages go up to $5 million per instance.
Additionally, the new law — effective Jan. 1, 2025 — requires social media platforms to have a method for people to report child sexual abuse material in which they are depicted. Platforms must tell the reporter within 36 hours that their report was received. They then have a month to verify that material is abuse, and if it is, block it.
Failing to comply could lead to a maximum fine of $250,000 per violation. Fines are reduced if the social media platform complies before a lawsuit is filed.
"Governor Newsom's signing of AB 1394 further crystallizes California’s commitment to protecting kids in the online world, and sets a nationwide standard in the fight against child sex abuse material,” Wicks said in a statement. “This law underscores our state's dedication to defending the most vulnerable among us, and sends a resounding message to other states and tech platforms that...
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