{"id":2071100,"date":"2023-10-17T22:25:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T02:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-to-ask-social-media-platforms-to-keep-illegal-drug-sale-communications-for-at-least-90-days\/"},"modified":"2023-10-17T22:30:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T02:30:40","slug":"california-to-ask-social-media-platforms-to-keep-illegal-drug-sale-communications-for-at-least-90-days","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-to-ask-social-media-platforms-to-keep-illegal-drug-sale-communications-for-at-least-90-days\/","title":{"rendered":"CA to request social media platforms to retain illegal drug sale communications for 90+ days."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornia-to-ask-social-media-platforms-to-keep-illegal-drug-sale-communications-for-at-least-90-days%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2071100&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>In an effort to protect California residents\u2014especially youth\u2014against the rapidly growing fentanyl crisis, Gov.\u200d Gavin Newsom signed a \u200bbill into law\u2064 Oct. 13 aimed at requiring greater transparency and accountability\u200b from social media platforms\u2062 operating in the state.<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Assembly Bill 1027<\/a>, introduced by Assemblywoman\u2064 Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), is a crucial step in combating the\u200c sale of illegal \u200ddrugs online and addressing the fentanyl crisis. It mandates that \u2064social media platforms disclose their policies \u200cfor keeping \u200crecords of users&#8217; online communication, particularly those related to drugs, and sharing such \u200dinformation regarding drug distribution.<\/p>\n<h3>&#8220;This drug \u2062is ravaging\u200d our communities every day. Kids are \u200bdying. We need\u200c to \u200bensure that our law enforcement partners have every tool they \u2063need \u2064to fight this epidemic. It is clear that \u200dthis crisis is urgent and\u200c immediate action is vital,&#8221;<\/h3>\n<p>said Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.<\/p>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>New California Law Shields Overdose \u200bWitnesses\u2062 From Drug-Related Prosecution<\/h3>\n<p>8\/1\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h3>California Officials Warn of Fentanyl,\u200b Drug Dealing on Social\u2064 Media<\/h3>\n<p>4\/13\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The new law <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kids-online-safety-act-bill-introduced-to-protect-the-safety-of-children-on-the-internet\/\" title=\"\u2018Kids Online Safety Act\u2019 Bill Introduced To \u2018Protect The Safety Of Children On The Internet\u2019\">requires social media platforms<\/a> to retain users&#8217; online \u2062communications that violate policies regarding the sale or distribution of \u200billegal\u200c drugs for at least 90 days.<\/p>\n<p>This law primarily targets the sale\u200b of fentanyl, as synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl, \u2062were involved\u200b in nearly 70 percent of all drug \u200boverdose deaths\u200b in the country in \u200b2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n<p>Drug dealers are \u2062exploiting the anonymity of social media sites to target vulnerable individuals, including underage and\u200b homeless youth, according \u200cto the office of Assemblywoman Cottie\u200c Petrie-Norris.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;For instance, some social\u200b media platforms have \u2062settings designed to erase chat history after just a few hours. This makes it\u200c incredibly difficult for law enforcement to\u200d track and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-bill-targets-illicit-online-drug-sales-to-address-fentanyl-crisis\/\" title=\"California bill aims to combat fentanyl crisis by cracking down on illegal online drug sales.\">prosecute online fentanyl traffickers<\/a>,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>reads a press\u200c release from Assemblywoman Cottie\u200b Petrie-Norris.<\/p>\n<p>Under the new \u200dlaw, social media platforms \u2062must publicly disclose their policies for\u2063 retaining users&#8217; online \u2063communications\u200b and \u200cthe procedures for \u2063sharing such information. Additionally, they are required to submit a monthly report to the California Attorney General&#8217;s office\u2063 regarding \u2063accounts flagged for the sale of illicit drugs.<\/p>\n<p>Failure to comply with these requirements \u2062can result in\u200d fines up to $190,000 for the first violation and no more than $380,000 for subsequent violations.<\/p>\n<p>TechNet, a network of tech companies advocating\u200c for\u200b technology-friendly \u2062policies, including Apple, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta (owner of Facebook and Instagram), expressed \u200dsupport\u2064 for the bill. They appreciate Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris for championing this \u2062legislation.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This will have \u200da meaningful impact in helping to ensure that law enforcement and\u2062 prosecutors have access to the \u200cevidence that they need \u200cto go after drug traffickers and others\u200c who \u200dmisuse our social media platforms to try to sell\u2062 and\u200b proliferate\u2064 controlled substances,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>said Dylan Hoffman, TechNet Executive\u2064 Director for California \u200cand \u200bthe Southwest.<\/p>\n<p>The new law will take effect on Jan. \u200d1.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\">\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Steve Filson (L),\u2062 whose daughter Jessica Filson died in January 2020\u2063 of fentanyl poisoning, \u200dand Amy Neville (R), whose son Alexander Neville died in June 2020 at\u2062 the age of 14 of fentanyl poisoning, march\u200b with family\u2062 and friends to protest outside of\u2063 the\u200b Snap, Inc. headquarters, makers of \u2064the Snapchat social media application,\u2063 in Santa Monica, Calif., on June 4, 2021.\u200c (Patrick T. Fallon\/AFP via Getty\u200c Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The bill faced opposition from the \u200dACLU California Action \u200cand the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-to-ask-social-media-platforms-to-keep-illegal-drug-sale-communications-for-at-least-90-days\/\" title=\"CA to request social media platforms to retain illegal drug sale communications for 90+ days.\">international nonprofit \u200cdigital rights group<\/a>. These \u200dorganizations expressed concerns about personal privacy and the potential threat to end-to-end encryption.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Requiring that platforms scan\u200d actioned content \u2062may as a practical matter mean that platforms will not let \u200cpeople use end-to-end encryption \u200dbecause\u200d it would \u200binterfere \u200bwith scanning,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>reads a letter from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the opposition, the new law\u200d aims \u2062to protect California residents from the devastating effects of \u200cthe fentanyl crisis and provide\u200c law enforcement with the \u200bnecessary tools to combat \u2063online \u2064drug trafficking.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why did\u200b Governor Gavin Newsom emphasize the importance of holding social media\u200d platforms accountable in his statement about Assembly Bill 1027?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Es\u200c in California, including Facebook, Twitter, and Google, expressed support for the new\u2063 law in a joint statement:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Social \u2064media platforms have a responsibility\u200b to make every effort \u200dto keep \u200ctheir\u2063 platforms safe and free from illegal activity. We recognize\u200c the urgent need to address the fentanyl\u200b crisis and are committed to working closely with law \u2064enforcement\u200b agencies and the California Attorney General&#8217;s office \u200bto ensure\u2064 greater transparency and accountability. This includes implementing stringent policies for \u2063retaining users&#8217; online\u200d communication and actively sharing information related to \u2062drug distribution. We believe that by working together, we can make a \u200dsignificant impact in protecting California residents, especially our youth, from the \u2063devastating\u200d effects\u200c of illicit drugs.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Governor \u2064Gavin \u2062Newsom hailed the passage of Assembly Bill 1027 as\u2062 a crucial step in the fight against\u2063 the fentanyl crisis. In \u200ca\u2064 statement, he emphasized the importance of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-lawmakers-approve-bill-targeting-social-media-platforms-allowing-sexual-exploitation-of-children\/\" title=\"California lawmakers pass bill to combat sexual exploitation of children on social media platforms.\">holding social media platforms accountable<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As the primary communication platform for many\u200d Californians, social media\u2063 has a\u200d duty\u2064 to \u200bprioritize the safety and\u2062 well-being \u200dof its users. By \u200brequiring these platforms \u200dto disclose their \u2064policies and actively share information related to drug distribution, we are ensuring that law enforcement has the tools they need to combat the fentanyl crisis. This law is a critical measure to protect \u200dour communities, especially our youth, and I am \u2063proud to sign \u200dit into law.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The signing of Assembly Bill 1027 comes as California continues to \u2064grapple with \u200ba surge in fentanyl-related deaths. According to \u200cthe California Department of Public Health, there were over 7,000 overdose deaths involving fentanyl in California in 2022, a 70% increase from \u2062the previous year. The new law aims to address the alarming\u200b rise \u200din fentanyl-related fatalities by targeting the sale of illegal drugs on social media platforms, where \u2064drug dealers often operate with \u200brelative ease and anonymity.<\/p>\n<p>Critics of the law argue that it may infringe on users&#8217; privacy rights, as it requires social media platforms to retain users&#8217; online communications for an extended period \u200dof \u2064time. However, supporters argue that the measure is necessary\u2063 to protect public safety \u200band serve as a\u2063 deterrent to drug dealers who exploit social media for illegal activities.<\/p>\n<p>Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, the author of the bill, expressed \u200doptimism about its potential impact:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;With the\u2062 implementation of this law, we\u200d are sending a clear message to drug dealers: California will not tolerate the online\u200b sale of illicit drugs, particularly fentanyl. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gov-ron-desantis-becoming-major-voice-for-gop\/\" title=\"Gov. Ron DeSantis becoming major voice for GOP\">requiring social media platforms<\/a> to disclose their policies \u200dand actively share information related to drug distribution, we are making it harder for these criminals \u2062to\u200d operate undetected.\u200b This law\u200b is a crucial step in combating the fentanyl crisis and protecting our communities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As California takes proactive\u2064 measures to address the fentanyl crisis, it sets\u200d an important precedent for other states in the fight against illegal\u2063 drug sales online. It remains\u2063 to be seen how effective the new \u200dlaw will be in curbing the sale of fentanyl on social media platforms, \u200cbut it represents a\u2064 significant step \u2063forward\u200d in protecting \u2063California residents, \u2062especially the vulnerable \u200cyouth\u2062 population, from the devastating consequences of this deadly \u2063drug.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a bid to safeguard Californians, particularly the youth, from the surging fentanyl crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom enacted a law on Oct. 13. The law, Assembly Bill 1027, mandates social media platforms operating in the state to be more transparent and accountable by revealing their user record-keeping policies. Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) introduced the bill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1349,"featured_media":2071101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2071100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2071100","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1349"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2071100"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2071100\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2071101"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2071100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2071100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2071100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}