Currrent as of February 4, 2022

Senate Bill No. 1424


Introduced by Senator Pan


February 16, 2018

An act to add and repeal Title 14.5 (commencing with Section 3085) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, relating to the Internet.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1424, Pan. Internet: social media: advisory group.

Existing law prohibits a person, among others, from making or disseminating in any advertising device, or in any manner or means whatever, including over the Internet, any statement concerning real or personal property or services that is untrue or misleading, as specified.

This bill would require the Attorney General, subject to receipt of sufficient private funds, as specified, to establish an advisory group consisting of at least one member of the Department of Justice, as well as Internet-based social media providers, civil liberties advocates, and First Amendment scholars to study the problem of the spread of false information through Internet-based social media platforms, and draft a model strategic plan for Internet-based social media platforms to use to mitigate this problem. The bill would require the Attorney General, by December 31, 2019, to present the results of the study and the model strategic plan to the Legislature and specified legislative committees. The bill would repeal its provisions, if sufficient private funds are not received by December 31, 2021.

Vote: majority   Appropriation: no   Fiscal Committee: yes   Local Program: no


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION 1.

Title 14.5 (commencing with Section 3085) is added to Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, to read:

TITLE 14.5. False Information Strategic Plans

3085.

The Attorney General shall, subject to the limitations of subdivision (d), establish an advisory group consisting of at least one member of the Department of Justice, Internet-based social media providers, civil liberties advocates, and First Amendment scholars, to do both of the following:

(a) Study the problem of the spread of false information through Internet-based social media platforms.

(b) Draft a model strategic plan for Internet-based social media platforms to use to mitigate the spread of false information through their platforms.

(c) Not later than one year after the notice required by paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) has been published, present the results of the study and the model strategic plan to the Legislature, pursuant to Section 9795 of the Government Code, and to the Assembly and Senate Committees on Judiciary.

(d) (1) The performance of the duties imposed on the Attorney General by subdivisions (a) to (c), inclusive, is contingent on the receipt of sufficient private funding to complete them. Funding shall be submitted to the Attorney General for deposit in the False Information Strategic Plans Fund which is hereby created in the State Treasury and any moneys deposited in this fund shall be subject to appropriation by the Legislature. The Department of Finance shall determine the amount necessary to fund the advisory group and its operations. Upon a determination that sufficient funds have been received, the Attorney General shall publish notice of this fact on its Internet Web site.

(2) If the funds required under paragraph (1) have not been received, and the necessary notice published, by December 31, 2021, this title, as of that date, is repealed


SB 1424