{"id":2336496,"date":"2024-09-04T10:04:59","date_gmt":"2024-09-04T14:04:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-legislature-passes-law-experts-say-could-require-id-for-social-media-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-09-04T11:04:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-04T15:04:59","slug":"california-legislature-passes-law-experts-say-could-require-id-for-social-media-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-legislature-passes-law-experts-say-could-require-id-for-social-media-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"California legislature passes law experts say could require ID for social media &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"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-legislature-passes-law-experts-say-could-require-id-for-social-media-washington-examiner%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=2336496&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--><p>### Summary of California Bills on Age Verification<\/p>\n<p>Recently, California\u200b has seen\u2063 legislative efforts focused on age verification \u2064related\u200d to online content \u2064and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-this-average-american-is-voting-for-donald-trump\/\" title=\"Why This Average American Is Voting for Donald Trump\">social media<\/a>, most notably through Assembly Bill 3080 and Senate Bill 976.<\/p>\n<p>####\u200b Assembly Bill 3080<\/p>\n<p>Assembly Bill 3080 aims\u200c to enhance age verification processes for accessing certain \u2064online content, specifically targeting obscene \u200dand indecent materials. This bill has\u2063 been a \u200btopic of discussion in\u2063 the \u200cAssembly and was\u200d read for a second time, indicating ongoing legislative progress and \u200bamendments.<\/p>\n<p>#### Senate Bill \u2064976<\/p>\n<p>On a related note, \u2062Senate Bill 976 has garnered attention as it requires\u200d social media platforms to implement age \u2063verification measures to prevent \u2062minors from accessing specific content. Introduced \u2062by retiring State Senator Nancy \u2064Skinner, the bill\u200c would prohibit social media\u200d notifications to minors between midnight and 6 AM, require that feeds presented to minors are chronological rather than algorithmic unless parental consent is obtained, and establish criteria for companies\u2064 to verify that users are not minors.<\/p>\n<p>The bill has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-ketanji-brown-jackson-for-supreme-court\/\" title=\"Senate Confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson for Supreme Court\">raised significant concerns<\/a> among technology experts and advocates \u2063of free speech, who argue that these requirements could compel users to submit\u2063 personal\u2063 identification, thus infringing on privacy and First Amendment rights. The California Attorney General will have the authority \u2062to define what constitutes &#8220;reasonable&#8221; verification processes by 2027, raising further\u200b apprehensions about\u200b <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alert-new-threads-app-secretly-collects-all-your-highly-sensitive-data-even-search-history\/\" title=\"Warning: New Threads App Stealthily Gathers Your Sensitive Data, Including Search History.\">potential data privacy issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>#### Concerns and Implications<\/p>\n<p>Critics, including the Chamber of Progress, have expressed grave concerns that these \u2062bills might overly\u2062 restrict access to information and subject adults to the\u200c same scrutiny as minors, thereby challenging \u2064the balance between \u2063protecting \u2064young users and preserving the rights of \u200call internet users \u2062to engage freely online. The overall \u2064impact\u200b of these bills could \u2064significantly reshape the landscape of \u2062online engagement in\u2062 California, \u2062influencing how \u200bsocial media operates\u2062 and how personal information\u200c is handled.<\/p>\n<p>both bills reflect California&#8217;s efforts\u2064 to address the complexities of online content access, particularly concerning minors,\u200b while \u200calso igniting debates\u200d about privacy rights and freedom\u2062 of speech in the digital age.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">California legislature passes law experts say could require ID for social media<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1745011\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; The California legislature passed a bill requiring social media age verification to prevent unauthorized use by minors involving addictive feeds or late night use. Technology experts warn the bill would effectively require users to provide ID to use social media, and thus threaten First Amendment freedom of speech and access to information.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>SB 976, one of the last bills by State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, who retired from the legislature at the end of the August session, now goes to California Gov. Newsom&rsquo;s for approval. The bill 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 &ldquo;reasonably determined&rdquo; the user is not a minor, or if a parent has consented.<\/p>\n<p>The bill empowers the California Attorney General &mdash; in this case Rob Bonta, who sponsored the bill &mdash; to define what is considered &ldquo;reasonable&rdquo; by January 1, 2027, which has many concerned that this would mean tying highly private information such as government identification to social media use.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;SB 976 would effectively require social media companies to verify the identity and age of ALL users,&rdquo; warned the Chamber of Progress in an opposition letter. &ldquo;Many adult users reasonably would prefer not to share their identifying information with online services &ndash; creating an unpleasant dilemma for adult users: turn over sensitive personal data to access protected speech online, or forego enjoyment of that online service entirely.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The First Amendment stringently restricts governmental interference with both the editorial discretion of private entities and the rights of individuals, regardless of age, to access lawful expression,&rdquo; continued the Chamber of Progress. &ldquo;SB 976, through its content-based and speaker-based restrictions, unequivocally infringes upon these fundamental freedoms.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>A court ruling in Arkansas against a similar bill suggests SB 976 may not stand up to First Amendment scrutiny, which Newsom could use to veto the bill.<\/p>\n<p>Bonta, on the other hand, encourages the public to think of the welfare of children at risk from social media addiction.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Our children and teens are experiencing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">public health crisis<\/a>, caused by social media companies in their thirst for profits,&rdquo; said Bonta in a statement. &ldquo;In California, we take mental health seriously, we take children&rsquo;s online safety seriously &mdash; and we know that we don&rsquo;t have a minute to waste to protect our kids. In California, we move fast and fix things.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The legislation featured unusual opposing and supporting coalitions of groups often at odds with each other. Opposing the measure is a coalition of business organizations, such as the California Chamber of Commerce, Netchoice and Technet, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-confirms-americas-first-native-american-cabinet-secretary\/\" title=\"Senate Confirms America\u2019s First Native American Cabinet Secretary\">civil rights organizations<\/a> such as ACLU California Action, Civil Justice Association of California, and Equality California, and the Trevor Project. Supporting the measure were state education offices and parents&rsquo; groups.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1745011\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1745011\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>California&#8217;s legislature has approved a bill that mandates age verification for social media to curb unauthorized access by minors, particularly concerning addictive content and late-night usage. Experts in technology caution that this legislation could necessitate users to present identification, potentially infringing on First Amendment rights related to free speech and information access. The bill, SB 976, is one of the final pieces of legislation from retiring State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and is now awaiting approval from Governor Newsom.<\/p>\n<p>The proposed law would prohibit social media notifications to minors during school hours and between midnight and 6 AM without parental consent. It also stipulates that social media feeds presented to minors must be chronological rather than algorithmic unless a parent has given consent or the platform can &#8220;reasonably determine&#8221; the user is not a minor. The California Attorney General, Rob Bonta\u2014who sponsored the bill\u2014will define what constitutes &#8220;reasonable&#8221; by January 1, 2027. This aspect raises concerns about linking sensitive personal information like government IDs with social media use.<\/p>\n<p>The Chamber of Progress expressed opposition in a letter stating that SB 976 would essentially require all users of social media platforms to verify their identity and age. Many adults may be reluctant to share such personal data with online services, creating a dilemma: either disclose sensitive information for online access or give up using those services altogether.<\/p>\n<p>The Chamber further argued that the First Amendment restricts government interference with private entities&#8217; editorial choices as well as individuals&#8217; rights\u2014regardless of age\u2014to access lawful expression. They believe SB 976 imposes restrictions based on content and speaker identity that violate these fundamental freedoms.<\/p>\n<p>A recent court ruling in Arkansas against similar legislation suggests SB 976 might face challenges under First Amendment scrutiny if it reaches Governor Newsom&#8217;s desk for approval. Meanwhile, Bonta emphasizes the need for protecting children from potential harm caused by social media addiction: \u201cOur children and teens are experiencing a public health crisis due to profit-driven practices by social media companies,\u201d he stated, underscoring California\u2019s commitment to mental health and child safety.<\/p>\n<p>This legislation has garnered support from state education offices and parent groups while facing opposition from various business organizations\u2014including the California Chamber of Commerce\u2014and civil rights groups like ACLU California Action among others<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2336497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/iStock-1466050714-1024x683.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,38657,6547,4199,32364],"class_list":["post-2336496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-id-requirements","tag-law","tag-legislature","tag-social-media"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/iStock-1466050714-1024x683.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2336496","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\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2336496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2336496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2336497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2336496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2336496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2336496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}