social networks
While a project of the State of California intends that local lawyers can sue social networks if they suspect that they cause addiction in minors, technology companies accuse that regulations would violate freedom of expression.
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By Rodrigo Cantillana Matus
29/06/2022 – 16:19hs CLT
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29/06/2022 – 16:19hs CLT
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By Rodrigo Cantillana Matus
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Las social networks are at war with a bill that would allow them to sue lawyers from the State of California, in the United States, sue them in cases where they are considered to harm minors. The California Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill eight votes to zero, taking into account input from teen advocates, teachers and consumer groups.
If the regulations come into force, the municipal, district and California state prosecutors could sue companies such as Meta Platforms (owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram) or the Chinese ByteDance Ltd, owner of TikTok and othersin case it is suspected that the company took advantage of tools that generate potential addictions in minors.
On the tech industries side, Dylan Hoffman, executive director of (Microsoft’s) Technet for California, criticized the project, taking into account the right to freedom of expression since, in its opinion, the algorithms used to preserve the content of social networks are a form of protected expression.
The initiative, in the first instance, he wanted parents to be the ones who had the power to file lawsuits against companies for damages caused to minors; however, pressure from the industry led to modifying the standardso that this power was exclusive to local prosecutors and a provision that allowed filing claims retroactively was eliminated.
Still, companies could face penalties of up to $25,000 per violation or US$250,000, if it is proven that addiction mechanisms were consciously used.
For now, the project will be approved in the Appropriations Committee of the California Senate and, if its processing progresses, It will go to the plenary session of the Senate, which must define the future of the regulations before the end of the legislative session in August.
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