SACRAMENTO, Calif. (The Center Square) — The California Senate passed a bill requiring social media age verification that experts warn threatens anonymity and free speech online for all Americans.
SB 976 would ban social media notifications to minors during school hours and between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM without parental consent, require chronological, not algorithmic social media feed presented to minors without parental consent, and only allow these features if a social media company has "reasonably determined" the user is not a minor. The bill empowers the California Attorney General to define what is considered “reasonable” by January 1, 2027, which has many concerned this would mean tying highly private information such as government identification to social media use.
“The fact is there isn’t a reliable method of verifying age and identity without collecting users’ personal information such as government IDs, birthdates, and other information,” warned a coalition of business organizations and technology companies, including the California Chamber of Commerce and Technet, in opposition. “This is even more difficult when trying to verify minors, who often don’t have identification.”
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krcrtv.com
SB 976 would ban social media notifications to minors during school hours and between 12:00 AM and 6:00 AM without parental consent, require chronological, not algorithmic social media feed presented to minors without parental consent, and only allow these features if a social media company has "reasonably determined" the user is not a minor. The bill empowers the California Attorney General to define what is considered “reasonable” by January 1, 2027, which has many concerned this would mean tying highly private information such as government identification to social media use.
“The fact is there isn’t a reliable method of verifying age and identity without collecting users’ personal information such as government IDs, birthdates, and other information,” warned a coalition of business organizations and technology companies, including the California Chamber of Commerce and Technet, in opposition. “This is even more difficult when trying to verify minors, who often don’t have identification.”
More
California Senate passes bill that could threaten anonymity, free speech online
The California Senate passed a bill requiring social media age verification that experts warn threatens anonymity and free speech online for all Americans.
krcrtv.com
