Meta fights for exemption from California child-harm penalty bill
- Source
- Politico
- Time
- 11:42 PM
- Weight
- 94/100
Meta is lobbying California lawmakers to include "safe harbor" provisions in Assembly Bill 2, a piece of legislation that seeks to impose fines of up to $1 million per child on social media platforms found liable for harming minors through negligent product design. The company has reportedly proposed amendments that would exempt platforms from these increased penalties if they implement specific default safety settings, such as disabling autoplay, restricting geolocation sharing, and silencing nighttime notifications.
The proposal comes as Meta and other tech giants face numerous lawsuits alleging their platforms contribute to youth addiction, depression, and other mental health issues. If adopted, these amendments could significantly reduce potential legal payouts for companies that meet the state's safety criteria.