California lawmakers introduce bill to increase tech company liability for child sexual abuse material
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Apr 24
California lawmakers introduce bill to increase tech company liability for child sexual abuse material
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Apr 24
Assembly members Maggy Krell and Buffy Wicks unveiled AB 1946, requiring biannual safety audits and faster removal of harmful content, with penalties funding survivor support.
The bill, amended on 6 April, would empower the attorney general to enforce compliance and reduce companies’ response time to 48 hours. If passed by August, it takes effect January 2027.
Prompted by recent verdicts against Meta and YouTube, the legislation aims to close legal gaps and address growing concerns about online child exploitation, challenging the current limits of federal liability protections.
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