CALIFORNIA, USA — While many parents struggle to try to limit screen time for their kids, a proposed California law would allow the government to sue companies like Tik Tok, Snapchat and Instagram for knowingly using tactics considered addictive to children.
The bill appears to be the most concrete attempt by a state legislature to hold social media companies liable for “manipulative design features” targeting users 17 years old and younger.
The Social Media Platform Duty to Children Act would “prohibit a social media platform… from using a feature… that causes a child user… to become addicted to the platform.”
EN ESPAÑOL: Usuarios de redes sociales en Arizona pueden verse afectados por una propuesta de ley de California
The proposed law would allow federal and local governments in California to file lawsuits against large social media companies that knowingly use such features.
“These are young kids. Their brains, their identities, are still developing,” Ilana Lowery, Arizona Director of Common Sense Media, a technology watchdog that is a co-sponsor of the bill.
“Targeting young people with these products that are known to be addictive and harmful is not only unethical but a violation of trust that we’ve given to these companies,” Lowery said.
The bill cites growing evidence that suggests social media platform addiction is a problem among adolescent children. It also notes that a whistleblower revealed in 2021 that Facebook leaders knew their platforms caused significant harm to users, especially children. Meta is the company that runs Facebook and Instagram.
Lowery believes if the law is passed in California, other states and Congress would feel pressure to follow suit with similar legislation. The mere threat of being sued would also persuade social media companies to change how they do business for all users, Lowery said.
“How many settlements or how many lawsuits could these companies afford before enough is enough and they do something meaningful?” Lowery said.
A technology industry organization, TechNet, told the Los Angeles Sentinel in June the bill would create an “unimaginable civil liability” on social media platforms.
That statement was made by TechNet when the bill would have allowed parents to sue social media companies. The bill has since been revised to allow the only city, state and federal prosecutors to file suits.
12 News reached out to TechNet on Tuesday for comment but has not received a response.
Critics warn the California law would be too vague.
A spokesperson for the company Meta said recently they’ve been proactive by creating new tools to protect kids’ privacy and to help parents supervise their children’s social media use.
12 News intern Olivia Dols contributed to this story.
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