California lawmakers passed a bill over the weekend to enhance penalties for social media influencers, who post on behalf of a political campaign without disclosing they were paid for the post.
The bill would increase financial penalties for social media companies in the event their platforms are found to harm children.
Democratic Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal of Long Beach introduced the bill. He says the bill is part of a sea change to get social media platforms to remove addictive features.
"They will change their design when it hurts them in the wallet and that is what AB 2 does," said Lowenthal. "AB 2 puts the power back with us."
Lowenthal says the settlement Meta announced in a major child safety lawsuit doesn’t go far enough.
"Because a $17.1 billion settlement over a 10-year period of time is not that bad for a multi-trillion dollar sector," he added.
The bill is just one of many bills lawmakers are considering to keep kids safe online. Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks of Oakland.
"We’re gonna be parents who are actively involved and engaged because moms and dads and parents want to keep their kids safe," said Wicks.
Lawmakers are also considering proposals to regulate how AI chatbots can interact with minors and impose age verification requirements for platforms.