United States of America: Rejected California Social Media Users’ Bill of Rights including consumer protection measures

On 31 August 2024, the California Social Media Users’ Bill of Rights was rejected in the California Legislature as it failed to pass before the conclusion of the 2023-2024 legislative session. The Bill mandated that social media platforms must provide users with easily accessible, concise, and user-friendly policies regarding usage, privacy, and terms of service. Additionally, under this legislation, social media platforms would have been required to analyse and minimise the potential negative impacts of their algorithms and AI tools on users, especially young people. This included collaborating with verified independent experts to identify and mitigate harms, improve intervention effectiveness, and share platform data with researchers to develop strategies aimed at reducing risks, particularly for children. Furthermore, the Bill stipulated that platforms must offer users clear and accessible explanations about the use of algorithms, AI, and other tools to retain users. Platforms would have had to ensure users have easy access to tools on their websites that facilitate control over content in their feeds, provide transparency on AI-generated content, and allowed users to opt out of targeted advertisements, cookies, and AI-generated content.