AB-1137 • 2026

Reporting mechanism: child sexual abuse material.

Children

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Krell (A) , Wicks
Last action: 2026-02-02
Official status: From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation included claims about changes in audit requirements that were not directly supported by the provided official summary text.

Reporting mechanism: child sexual abuse material

AB-1137 changes the requirements for social media platforms to report and review child sexual abuse material, making it easier for users to file reports without needing to be depicted in the reported content.

What This Bill Does

Removes the requirement that a user must be in the reported image to file a complaint about child sexual abuse material.
Requires social media companies to make reporting mechanisms clear and easy to find.
Ensures all reports of child sexual abuse material are reviewed using a hash matching process or by a person if needed.
Adds penalties for social media companies that do not follow these rules, including fines collected by public attorneys.

Who It Names or Affects

Social media users in California who want to report child sexual abuse material.
Social media companies that must follow new reporting rules and face penalties if they do not comply.
Public attorneys, including the Attorney General, who can collect fines from noncompliant social media companies.

Terms To Know

Hash matching process: A method used to identify child sexual abuse material by comparing images or videos against a database of known harmful content.
Third-party audit: An independent review conducted by an outside company to check if social media platforms are following the rules regarding child sexual abuse material.

Limits and Unknowns

The bill does not specify when it will go into effect.
It is unclear how much this change will impact actual reporting and enforcement on social media platforms.

Bill History

2026-02-02 California Legislative Information
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
2026-01-31 California Legislative Information
Died pursuant to Art. IV, Sec. 10(c) of the Constitution.
2025-05-23 California Legislative Information
In committee: Held under submission.
2025-05-07 California Legislative Information
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 0.) (April 29). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
2025-04-30 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (April 22). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-04-23 California Legislative Information
Coauthors revised.
2025-04-22 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2025-04-21 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-04-10 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-25 California Legislative Information
Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24 California Legislative Information
Referred to Coms. on P. & C.P. and JUD.
2025-02-21 California Legislative Information
From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.
2025-02-20 California Legislative Information
Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 1137, as amended, Krell.
Reporting mechanism: child sexual abuse material.
Existing law requires a social media platform to take certain actions with respect to child sexual abuse material on the social media platform, including by requiring the social media platform to provide, in a mechanism that is reasonably accessible to users, a means for a user who is a California resident to report material to the social media platform that the user reasonably believes meets certain criteria, including that the reported material is child sexual abuse material and that the reporting user is depicted in the material. Existing law also requires the social media platform to collect information reasonably sufficient to enable the social media platform to contact, as specified, a reporting user.
This bill would delete the requirement for reporting material that the reporting user be depicted in the material, would require that the
depicted individual be depicted as a minor,
and
would additionally require the mechanism to be clear and
conspicuous, and
conspicuous. The bill
would require a social media platform to ensure that any report submitted using the reporting mechanism
receives a review
is reviewed
through a hash matching process
or, if there is not an established or known hash match to child sexual abuse material,
and would require a social media company to ensure review
by a natural
person.
person if there is not an established or known hash match to child sexual abuse material with respect to the reported material and the reported material is not otherwise blocked.
Existing law makes a noncomplying social media company liable to a reporting user for actual damages and statutory damages, as specified.
This bill would also impose a civil penalty on a noncomplying social media company to be collected in a civil action by certain public attorneys, including the Attorney General. The bill would make a social media company liable to a depicted individual, as defined, for specified violations.
Existing law prohibits a social media platform from knowingly facilitating, aiding, or abetting commercial sexual exploitation, as defined, and exempts a social media platform from being deemed in violation of that prohibition if it instituted a specified audit program and provided to each member of its board of directors a true and correct copy of each audit, as prescribed.
This bill would revise those provisions to, instead, require a social media platform to submit to third-party audits and release audit reports to the public in order to be exempt from being deemed in violation that prohibition, as prescribed.
This bill would declare that its provisions are severable.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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