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*sb0932*
SENATE BILL 932
I3 6lr3545
By: Senator Harris
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2026
Assigned to: Finance
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: March 7, 2026
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Consumer Protection – Social Media Platforms – Display of User Location 2
FOR the purpose of requiring a person that operates a social media platform to display to 3
State users of the social media platform the general geographical location of each 4
adult user whose account is visible to the State user on the platform , subject to 5
certain exceptions; and generally relating to general geographical locations of users 6
on social media platforms. 7
BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 8
Article – Commercial Law 9
Section 13–301(14)(xlvii) 10
Annotated Code of Maryland 11
(2025 Replacement Volume) 12
BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 13
Article – Commercial Law 14
Section 13–301(14)(xlviii) 15
Annotated Code of Maryland 16
(2025 Replacement Volume) 17
BY adding to 18
Article – Commercial Law 19
Section 13–301(14)(xlix) and 14–1330 20
Annotated Code of Maryland 21
(2025 Replacement Volume) 22
2 SENATE BILL 932
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 2
Article – Commercial Law 3
13–301. 4
Unfair, abusive, or deceptive trade practices include any: 5
(14) Violation of a provision of: 6
(xlvii) Title 14, Subtitle 50 of this article; [or] 7
(xlviii) Section 13–411.1(c)(2) of the Transportation Article; or 8
(XLIX) SECTION 14–1330 OF THIS ARTICLE; OR 9
14–1330. 10
(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 11
INDICATED. 12
(2) (I) “GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION” MEANS, AT THE 13
TIME OF ACCESS TO A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFOR M, THE CITY STATE, PROVINCE, OR 14
OTHER COMPARABLE SUB DIVISION AND THE COUNTRY DERIVED FROM THE 15
INTERNET PROTOCOL ADDRESS OF THE NETWORK CONNECTION THROUGH WHICH A 16
USER’S DEVICE ACCESSES THE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. 17
(II) “GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION” DOES NOT 18
INCLUDE: 19
1. PRECISE GEOLOCATION D ATA, AS DEFINED IN § 20
14–4701 OF THIS TITLE; OR 21
2. PRECISE GEOLOCATION, AS DEFINED IN § 14–4801 OF 22
THIS TITLE. 23
(3) (I) “SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM” MEANS A WEBSITE, A DESKTOP 24
OR MOBILE APPLICATION, OR AN AUGMENTED OR VIRTUAL REALITY APPLICATION, 25
PUBLIC OR SEMIPUBLIC INTERNET–BASED SERVICE OR APP LICATION THAT HAS A 26
STATE USER AND THAT: 27
(I) 1. ALLOWS A PERSON TO BECOME A REGISTERED USER, 28
ESTABLISH AN ACCOUNT, OR CREATE A PROFILE FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING 29
SENATE BILL 932 3
THE USER TO CREATE , SHARE, AND VIEW USER –GENERATED CONTENT TH ROUGH 1
THE ACCOUNT OR PROFILE USING THE SERVICE OR APPLICATION; 2
(II) 2. ENABLES A USER TO GEN ERATE CONTENT THAT C AN 3
BE VIEWED BY OTHER U SERS OF THE PLATFORM SERVICE OR APPLICATI ON AND 4
VIEW CONTENT GENERAT ED BY OTHER USERS OF THE SERVICE OR APPLI CATION; 5
AND 6
(III) 3. PRIMARILY SERVES AS A MEDIUM FOR USERS TO 7
INTERACT SOCIALLY WITH CONTENT GENERATED BY OTHER USERS OF THE 8
PLATFORM SERVICE OR APPLICATION; AND 9
4. POPULATES A LIST OF O THER USERS WITH WHOM A 10
USER SHARES A SOCIAL CONNECTION WITHIN THE SERVICE OR APPLICATION. 11
(II) “SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM” DOES NOT INCLUDE A SERVICE 12
OR APPLICATION: 13
1. SOLELY ON THE BASIS T HAT THE SERVICE OR 14
APPLICATION OFFERS E–MAIL OR DIRECT MESSAGING FUNCTIONS; 15
2. THAT IS COMPOSED PRIM ARILY OF CONTENT 16
PRESELECTED BY THE S ERVICE OR APPLICATIO N PROVIDER AND FOR W HICH ANY 17
COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTION IS INCID ENTAL TO , DIRECTLY RELATED TO , OR 18
DEPENDENT ON THE PROVISION OF THE PRESELECTED CONTENT; OR 19
3. FOR INTERACTIVE GAMING. 20
(4) “STATE USER ” MEANS A USER OF A SO CIAL MEDIA PLATFORM 21
WHOSE GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION IS IN THE STATE. 22
(B) (1) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH (2) OF THIS SUBSECTION, A 23
PERSON THAT OPERATES A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATF ORM SHALL DISPLAY TO A STATE 24
USER THE GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF EACH USER WHOSE ACCOUNT IS 25
VISIBLE TO THE STATE USER ON THE SOCIAL MEDIAL PLATFORM. 26
(2) A PERSON THAT OPERATES A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM MAY NOT 27
DISPLAY THE GENERAL GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF A USER WHO THE: 28
(I) THE PERSON KNOWS OR HAS REASON TO KNOW IS A MINOR; 29
OR 30
4 SENATE BILL 932
(II) CERTIFIES PARTICIPATI ON IN THE ADDRESS 1
CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM ESTABLISHED U NDER TITLE 7, SUBTITLE 3 OF THE 2
STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE. 3
(3) A PERSON THAT OPERATES A SOCIAL MEDIA PLATF ORM SHALL 4
ESTABLISH A PROCESS TO ENABLE A STATE USER TO MAKE THE CER TIFICATION 5
DESCRIBED UNDER PARAGRAPH (2)(II) OF THIS SUBSECTION. 6
(C) A VIOLATION OF THIS SECTION IS: 7
(1) AN UNFAIR , ABUSIVE, OR DECEPTIVE TRADE P RACTICE WITHIN 8
THE MEANING OF TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE; AND 9
(2) SUBJECT TO THE ENFORC EMENT AND PENALTY PR OVISIONS 10
CONTAINED IN TITLE 13 OF THIS ARTICLE, EXCEPT §§ 13–407, 13–408, AND 13–411 11
OF THIS ARTICLE. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 13
October 1, 2026. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.