Plain English Breakdown
The effective date is listed as empty in the metadata, so it cannot be confirmed when this law starts.
AB-1946: New Rules for Reporting Child Sexual Abuse Material
This law changes how social media platforms must handle reports of child sexual abuse material by updating definitions, requiring human review when computer checks fail, and changing who can receive damages.
What This Bill Does
- Updates the definition of child sexual abuse material to include intimate visual depictions involving an identifiable minor or someone who appears to be a minor.
- Requires reporting tools on social media platforms to be clear and easy to find.
- Removes the rule that only people shown in the image can report it, allowing any user to submit reports.
- Mandates that all reports are first checked by computer systems using hash-matching.
- Requires a real person to review reported material if no match is found and the content was not already blocked.
- Changes liability so companies must pay damages to individuals depicted in the material, rather than just the user who made the report.
- Allows public attorneys, including the Attorney General, to collect civil penalties from noncomplying platforms.
- Requires fines collected by the Attorney General under this law to be deposited into the Survivor Support Fund.
- Removes the rule that material must be reported for four consecutive months before a platform is considered to have knowledge of it.
- Requires social media companies to submit audit reports to the Attorney General and other officials if requested to avoid penalties.
Who It Names or Affects
- Social media platforms operating in California
- Individuals depicted in intimate visual depictions involving minors
- The California Victim Compensation Board, which manages grants from the Survivor Support Fund
- Public attorneys and officials who may collect penalties or receive audit reports
Terms To Know
- Hash-matching process
- A computer method that compares digital files to known databases of illegal content to identify matches.
- Intimate visual depiction
- Images or videos showing private body parts or sexual acts involving a minor or someone who appears to be a minor, as defined by the bill.
- Survivor Support Fund
- A state fund that provides money for organizations helping victims of sex trafficking and abuse.
Limits and Unknowns
- The official text does not specify the exact date this law will take effect.
- It is unclear how often social media companies must submit audits beyond what officials request.
- Audit reports are confidential, but specific details on who can access them remain limited to those specified in the bill.