Online exploitation ‘inflicting profound trauma on a staggering number of children’, Democrats say
Source: The Guardian
Frustrated with what they describe as a lack of accountability from social media companies, two California state lawmakers have introduced a bill that would clear a legal pathway for them to face lawsuits in the state for failing to detect or remove child sexual abuse material on their websites and apps.
Assembly members Maggy Krell and Buffy Wicks, both Democrats, said they are spurred by witnessing how online exploitation is inflicting “profound trauma on a staggering number of children”, in an interview with the Guardian.
The move follows two landmark trial verdicts in California and New Mexico in March, in which Meta and YouTube were found liable for harm inflicted on children. With more lawsuits in the pipeline, states across the country are working to increase legal accountability for tech giants over harms against children committed through their sites and apps.
“This is the most urgent issue of our time when it comes to protecting our most vulnerable children,” said Krell. “I want to see these companies really invest and prioritize protecting kids. The money that they’re spending on defending against lawsuits would be better spent on fixing their platforms so that children do not continue to be harmed on their sites.”
