| 11 | 9 | | 7 |
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| 12 | 10 | | For An Act To Be Entitled 8 |
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| 13 | 11 | | AN ACT TO CREATE THE CHILD CONTENT CREATION 9 |
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| 14 | 12 | | PROTECTION ACT; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 10 |
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| 15 | 13 | | 11 |
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| 16 | 14 | | 12 |
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| 17 | 15 | | Subtitle 13 |
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| 18 | 16 | | TO CREATE THE CHILD CONTENT CREATION 14 |
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| 19 | 17 | | PROTECTION ACT. 15 |
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| 20 | 18 | | 16 |
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| 21 | 19 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 17 |
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| 22 | 20 | | 18 |
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| 23 | 21 | | 19 |
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| 24 | 22 | | SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 4, Chapter 88, is amended to add an 20 |
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| 25 | 23 | | additional subchapter to read as follows: 21 |
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| 26 | 24 | | Subchapter 15 — Child Content Creation Protection Act 22 |
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| 27 | 25 | | 23 |
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| 28 | 26 | | 4-88-1501. Title. 24 |
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| 29 | 27 | | This subchapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Child Content 25 |
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| 30 | 28 | | Creation Protection Act". 26 |
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| 31 | 29 | | 27 |
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| 32 | 30 | | 4-88-1502. Definitions. 28 |
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| 33 | 31 | | As used in this subchapter: 29 |
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| 34 | 32 | | (1)(A) "Content creator" means a parent or legal guardian 30 |
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| 35 | 33 | | residing in the State of Arkansas who creates static image or video content 31 |
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| 36 | 34 | | that is performed in the State of Arkansas in exchange for compensation and 32 |
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| 37 | 35 | | includes without limitation a: 33 |
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| 38 | 36 | | (i) Vlogger; 34 |
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| 39 | 37 | | (ii) Podcaster; 35 |
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| 48 | 44 | | (2) "Minor" means a person seventeen (17) years of age or 4 |
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| 49 | 45 | | younger who resides in the State of Arkansas; 5 |
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| 50 | 46 | | (3) "Personal identifying information" means information that 6 |
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| 51 | 47 | | allows a person to uniquely identify another person based on factors that 7 |
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| 52 | 48 | | include without limitation the person's image, voice, name, or contact 8 |
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| 53 | 49 | | information; 9 |
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| 54 | 50 | | (4) "Social graph" means the list of people that an account 10 |
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| 55 | 51 | | holder is connected to using a friending function or similar functionality on 11 |
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| 56 | 52 | | a social media platform, not including the act of subscribing to content from 12 |
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| 57 | 53 | | another account holder; 13 |
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| 58 | 54 | | (5) "Social media platform" means a public or semipublic 14 |
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| 59 | 55 | | internet-based service or application that has account holders in the State 15 |
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| 60 | 56 | | of Arkansas and with respect to account holders: 16 |
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| 61 | 57 | | (A) Connects account holders to allow them to interact 17 |
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| 62 | 58 | | socially with other account holders within the service or application; 18 |
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| 63 | 59 | | (B) Permits public posting of account holder -generated 19 |
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| 64 | 60 | | content without accessibility being limited to a particular social graph; and 20 |
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| 65 | 61 | | (C) Permits interaction with other account holders' 21 |
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| 66 | 62 | | content outside of a limited social graph, including without limitation 22 |
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| 67 | 63 | | content recommended from persons that the account holder does not follow; and 23 |
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| 68 | 64 | | (6) "Uniquely identifiable" means an individual, other than an 24 |
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| 69 | 65 | | individual submitting a privacy removal request, who could identify the 25 |
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| 70 | 66 | | individual submitting the privacy removal request separately from other 26 |
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| 71 | 67 | | individuals based on personal identifying information. 27 |
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| 72 | 68 | | 28 |
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| 73 | 69 | | 4-88-1503. Compensation for content creation featuring minor — Records 29 |
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| 74 | 70 | | — Trust account required — Right to civil action. 30 |
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| 75 | 71 | | (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a minor is engaging 31 |
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| 76 | 72 | | in the work of content creation if he or she meets the following criteria 32 |
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| 77 | 73 | | during the previous twelve (12) month period: 33 |
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| 78 | 74 | | (1)(A) At least thirty percent (30%) of a content creator's 34 |
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| 79 | 75 | | compensated content produced within one (1) thirty -day day period includes 35 |
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| 85 | 79 | | (B) Content percentage in subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this 1 |
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| 86 | 80 | | section is measured by the percentage of time that the likeness, name, or 2 |
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| 87 | 81 | | photograph of the minor is visible or is the subject of an oral narrative in 3 |
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| 88 | 82 | | content as compared to the total length of the content segment; 4 |
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| 89 | 83 | | (2) The number of views received per content segment on a social 5 |
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| 90 | 84 | | media platform met the social media platform's threshold for the generation 6 |
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| 91 | 85 | | of compensation or the content creator received actual compensation for 7 |
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| 92 | 86 | | content equal to or greater than ten cents ($0.10) per view; and 8 |
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| 93 | 87 | | (3) The content creator received actual compensation for content 9 |
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| 94 | 88 | | of at least fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) in the previous twelve -month 10 |
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| 95 | 89 | | month period. 11 |
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| 97 | 91 | | create, and publish his or her own content and is entitled to all 13 |
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| 98 | 92 | | compensation for his or her own content creation. 14 |
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| 99 | 93 | | (c)(1) A content creator whose content features a minor engaged in the 15 |
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| 100 | 94 | | work of content creation as described in subdivision (a)(1) of this section 16 |
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| 101 | 95 | | shall maintain the following records until the minor reaches twenty -one (21) 17 |
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| 102 | 96 | | years of age: 18 |
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| 103 | 97 | | (A) The name and documentary proof of the age of the minor 19 |
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| 104 | 98 | | engaged in the work of content creation as of the date that the content 20 |
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| 105 | 99 | | creator begins creating content; 21 |
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| 106 | 100 | | (B) The number of posts that generated compensation during 22 |
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| 107 | 101 | | the reporting period; 23 |
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| 108 | 102 | | (C) The total number of minutes of the posts that the 24 |
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| 109 | 103 | | content creator received compensation for during the reporting period; 25 |
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| 110 | 104 | | (D) The total number of minutes that each minor was 26 |
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| 111 | 105 | | featured in posts during the reporting period; 27 |
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| 112 | 106 | | (E) The total compensation generated from posts featuring 28 |
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| 113 | 107 | | a minor during the reporting period; and 29 |
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| 114 | 108 | | (F) The amount deposited into the trust account for the 30 |
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| 115 | 109 | | benefit of the minor engaged in the work of content creation as required by 31 |
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| 116 | 110 | | subdivision (d)(1)(B) of this section. 32 |
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| 117 | 111 | | (2)(A)(i) The records required to be maintained under 33 |
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| 118 | 112 | | subdivision (c)(1) of this section shall be readily accessible to the minor 34 |
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| 119 | 113 | | for his or her review. 35 |
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| 125 | 117 | | minor of the existence of the records under subdivision (c)(1) of this 1 |
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| 126 | 118 | | section. 2 |
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| 127 | 119 | | (B)(i) If a content creator whose content features a minor 3 |
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| 128 | 120 | | engaged in the work of content creation fails to maintain the records 4 |
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| 129 | 121 | | required under subdivision (c)(1) of this section, the minor may commence a 5 |
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| 130 | 122 | | civil action to enforce the provisions of this subsection. 6 |
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| 131 | 123 | | (ii) If a minor prevails in an action brought under 7 |
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| 132 | 124 | | subdivision (c)(2)(B)(i) of this section, the court may award: 8 |
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| 133 | 125 | | (a) Injunctive relief; 9 |
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| 134 | 126 | | (b) Actual damages; 10 |
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| 135 | 127 | | (c) Punitive damages; and 11 |
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| 136 | 128 | | (d) The cost of the action, including without 12 |
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| 137 | 129 | | limitation attorney's fees and litigation costs. 13 |
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| 138 | 130 | | (d)(1) A content creator shall: 14 |
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| 139 | 131 | | (A) Compensate a minor who engages in the work of content 15 |
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| 140 | 132 | | creation under this section; 16 |
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| 141 | 133 | | (B) Set aside gross earnings on the content created by a 17 |
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| 142 | 134 | | minor engaging in the work of content creation under this section, including 18 |
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| 143 | 135 | | without limitation the likeness, name, or photograph of the minor, in a trust 19 |
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| 144 | 136 | | account; and 20 |
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| 145 | 137 | | (C) Preserve the trust account under subdivision (d)(1)(B) 21 |
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| 146 | 138 | | of this section for the benefit of the minor until the minor reaches eighteen 22 |
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| 147 | 139 | | (18) years of age according to the distribution under subdivision (d)(2) of 23 |
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| 148 | 140 | | this section. 24 |
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| 149 | 141 | | (2)(A) When only one (1) minor engaged in the work of content 25 |
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| 150 | 142 | | creation meets the content threshold described in subdivision (a)(1)(A) of 26 |
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| 151 | 143 | | this section, the percentage of total gross earnings on any content segment, 27 |
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| 152 | 144 | | including the likeness, name, or photograph of a minor, that is equal to or 28 |
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| 153 | 145 | | greater than one-half (1/2) of the content percentage that includes the minor 29 |
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| 154 | 146 | | as described under subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this section shall be paid into 30 |
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| 155 | 147 | | the minor's trust account under this subsection. 31 |
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| 156 | 148 | | (B) When more than one (1) minor engaged in the work of 32 |
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| 157 | 149 | | content creation meets the content threshold described in subdivision 33 |
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| 158 | 150 | | (a)(1)(A) of this section, the percentage of total gross earnings on any 34 |
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| 159 | 151 | | content segment, including the likeness, name, or photograph of a minor, that 35 |
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| 165 | 155 | | includes the minor as described under subdivision (a)(1)(A) of this section 1 |
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| 166 | 156 | | shall be divided equally between each of the minors, regardless of any 2 |
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| 167 | 157 | | difference in the percentage of content provided by the individual minors, 3 |
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| 168 | 158 | | and paid into a separate trust account for each minor under this subsection. 4 |
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| 169 | 159 | | (3)(A) A trust account under this subsection shall provide, at a 5 |
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| 170 | 160 | | minimum, that: 6 |
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| 171 | 161 | | (i) The funds in the trust account be available only 7 |
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| 172 | 162 | | to the minor engaged in the work of content creation; 8 |
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| 173 | 163 | | (ii) The trust account shall be held by a bank or 9 |
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| 174 | 164 | | trust company, as those terms are defined under § 23 -51-102; 10 |
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| 175 | 165 | | (iii) The funds in the trust account shall become 11 |
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| 176 | 166 | | available to the minor engaged in the work of content creation when the minor 12 |
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| 177 | 167 | | reaches eighteen (18) years of age, or upon entry of an order of emancipation 13 |
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| 178 | 168 | | of the minor by a court of competent jurisdiction; and 14 |
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| 179 | 169 | | (iv) The trust account meets the requirements under 15 |
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| 180 | 170 | | the Arkansas Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, § 9 -26-201 et seq. 16 |
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| 181 | 171 | | (B)(i) If a content creator knowingly or recklessly 17 |
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| 182 | 172 | | violates subdivision (d)(3)(A) of this section, the minor may commence an 18 |
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| 183 | 173 | | action to enforce the provisions of this subsection. 19 |
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| 184 | 174 | | (ii) If a minor prevails in an action brought under 20 |
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| 185 | 175 | | subdivision (c)(2)(B)(i) of this section, the court may award: 21 |
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| 186 | 176 | | (a) Injunctive relief; 22 |
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| 187 | 177 | | (b) Actual damages; 23 |
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| 188 | 178 | | (c) Punitive damages; and 24 |
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| 189 | 179 | | (d) The cost of the action, including without 25 |
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| 190 | 180 | | limitation attorney's fees and litigation costs. 26 |
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| 191 | 181 | | (e) This section does not: 27 |
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| 192 | 182 | | (1) Affect a right or remedy available under any other law of 28 |
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| 193 | 183 | | this state; or 29 |
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| 194 | 184 | | (2) Have any effect on a party that is neither the content 30 |
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| 195 | 185 | | creator nor the minor engaged in the work of content creation. 31 |
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| 196 | 186 | | 32 |
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| 197 | 187 | | 4-88-1503. Privacy removal requests. 33 |
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| 198 | 188 | | (a) A social media platform shall provide an easily accessible 34 |
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| 199 | 189 | | mechanism through which a minor who is featured in a content creator's 35 |
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| 205 | 193 | | minor on or after the effective date of this subchapter may submit a request 1 |
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| 206 | 194 | | for the content creator to: 2 |
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| 207 | 195 | | (1) Delete the content from the social media platform; or 3 |
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| 208 | 196 | | (2) Edit the content to remove the minor's or adult who was 4 |
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| 209 | 197 | | featured as a minor's private information if the minor or the adult who was 5 |
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| 210 | 198 | | featured as a minor is uniquely identifiable. 6 |
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| 211 | 199 | | (b) A removal request submitted to a social media platform under this 7 |
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| 212 | 200 | | section shall include all information reasonably requested by the online 8 |
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| 213 | 201 | | platform to identify the minor or adult who was featured as a minor and the 9 |
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| 214 | 202 | | relevant content. 10 |
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| 215 | 203 | | (c)(1) A social media platform shall notify the content creator 11 |
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| 216 | 204 | | responsible for the content of the content creator's obligation to remove the 12 |
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| 217 | 205 | | content within a reasonable time period not to exceed thirty (30) days. 13 |
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| 218 | 206 | | (2) A content creator who receives notice under subdivision 14 |
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| 219 | 207 | | (c)(1) of this section shall: 15 |
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| 220 | 208 | | (A) Delete the relevant content from the social media 16 |
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| 221 | 209 | | platform; or 17 |
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| 222 | 210 | | (E) Edit the relevant content to remove the minor's or 18 |
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| 223 | 211 | | adult who was featured as a minor's uniquely identifiable information no 19 |
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| 224 | 212 | | later than seventy-two (72) hours after receipt of the notification. 20 |
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| 225 | 213 | | (3) If the content creator responsible for the content fails to 21 |
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| 226 | 214 | | take action after a reasonable time period not to exceed thirty (30) days 22 |
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| 227 | 215 | | under this subsection: 23 |
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| 228 | 216 | | (A)(i) The minor or adult who was featured as a minor may 24 |
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| 229 | 217 | | commence an action to enforce this subsection. 25 |
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| 230 | 218 | | (ii) If a minor prevails in an action brought under 26 |
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| 231 | 219 | | subdivision (c)(3)(A)(i) of this section, the court may award: 27 |
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| 232 | 220 | | (a) Injunctive relief; 28 |
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| 233 | 221 | | (b) Actual damages; 29 |
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| 234 | 222 | | (c) Punitive damages; and 30 |
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| 235 | 223 | | (d) The cost of the action, including without 31 |
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| 236 | 224 | | limitation attorney's fees and litigation costs; and 32 |
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| 237 | 225 | | (B) The social media platform shall review and take all 33 |
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| 238 | 226 | | reasonable steps to remove the content from the online platform unless: 34 |
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| 239 | 227 | | (i) The minor or adult who was featured in the 35 |
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| 245 | 231 | | information; or 1 |
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| 246 | 232 | | (ii) The social media platform finds that the 2 |
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| 247 | 233 | | content is sufficiently newsworthy or of other public interest to outweigh 3 |
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| 248 | 234 | | the privacy interests of the minor or adult who was featured in the content 4 |
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| 249 | 235 | | creator's content as a minor. 5 |
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| 250 | 236 | | (d) This section does not affect a right or remedy available under any 6 |
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| 251 | 237 | | other law of this state. 7 |
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| 252 | 238 | | 8 |
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| 253 | 239 | | 4-88-1504. Intentional sexualization of a minor — Exception. 9 |
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| 254 | 240 | | (a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (a)(2) of this section, it 10 |
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| 255 | 241 | | shall be unlawful to financially benefit from knowingly producing or 11 |
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| 256 | 242 | | distributing publicly, including without limitation by computer, any visual 12 |
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| 257 | 243 | | depiction of a minor with the intent to sexually gratify or elicit a sexual 13 |
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| 258 | 244 | | response in the viewer or any other person. 14 |
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| 259 | 245 | | (2) This section: 15 |
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| 260 | 246 | | (A) Does not prohibit any lawfully authorized 16 |
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| 261 | 247 | | investigative, protective or intelligence activity of: 17 |
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| 262 | 248 | | (i) A law enforcement agency of this state; 18 |
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| 263 | 249 | | (ii) A political subdivision of this state; 19 |
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| 264 | 250 | | (iii) A law enforcement agency of the United States; 20 |
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| 265 | 251 | | or 21 |
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| 266 | 252 | | (iv) An intelligence agency of the United States; 22 |
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| 267 | 253 | | (B) Shall not apply: 23 |
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| 268 | 254 | | (i) In the case of an individual acting in good 24 |
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| 269 | 255 | | faith to report unlawful activity or in pursuance of a legal, professional, 25 |
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| 270 | 256 | | or other lawful obligation; 26 |
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| 271 | 257 | | (ii) In the case of a document production or filing 27 |
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| 272 | 258 | | associated with a legal proceeding; and 28 |
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| 273 | 259 | | (iii) To a social media platform regarding content 29 |
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| 274 | 260 | | provided by creators unless the social media platform intentionally solicits, 30 |
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| 275 | 261 | | or knowingly and predominantly distributes, the content; and 31 |
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| 276 | 262 | | (C) Shall not impose liability in a manner that is 32 |
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| 277 | 263 | | inconsistent with 47 U.S.C. § 230, as it existed on January 1, 2025. 33 |
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| 278 | 264 | | (b)(1) If a person violates this section or attempts or conspires to 34 |
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| 279 | 265 | | violate this section, the minor may commence an action to enforce the 35 |
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| 285 | 269 | | (2) If a minor prevails in an action brought under subdivision 1 |
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| 286 | 270 | | (b)(1) of this section, the court may award: 2 |
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| 287 | 271 | | (A) Injunctive relief; 3 |
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| 288 | 272 | | (B) Actual damages; 4 |
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| 289 | 273 | | (C) Punitive damages; and 5 |
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| 290 | 274 | | (D) The cost of the action including without limitation 6 |
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| 291 | 275 | | attorney's fees and litigation costs. 7 |
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| 292 | 276 | | (c) This section does not affect a right or remedy available under any 8 |
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| 293 | 277 | | other law of this state. 9 |
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| 294 | 278 | | (d)(1) A social media platform shall develop and implement a risk -10 |
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| 295 | 279 | | based strategy to help mitigate risks related to monetization of the 11 |
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| 296 | 280 | | intentional sexualization of known minors that occurs in the context of known 12 |
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| 297 | 281 | | minors' engagement in the work of content creation. 13 |
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| 298 | 282 | | (2) The strategy under subdivision (d)(1) of this section: 14 |
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| 299 | 283 | | (A) Shall be documented and reassessed on a reasonably 15 |
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| 300 | 284 | | recurring basis; and 16 |
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| 301 | 285 | | (B) May include at the sole discretion of the social media 17 |
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| 302 | 286 | | platform commercially reasonable: 18 |
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| 303 | 287 | | (i) Policies that govern content and related 19 |
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| 304 | 288 | | monetization; 20 |
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| 305 | 289 | | (ii) Restrictions of features on content featuring 21 |
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| 306 | 290 | | minors; 22 |
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| 307 | 291 | | (iii) Use of an automated system to identify and 23 |
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| 308 | 292 | | enforce against potentially problematic content and accounts; 24 |
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| 309 | 293 | | (iv) Inclusion of precautions to mitigate against 25 |
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| 310 | 294 | | recommendation systems surfacing content of interest to offenders; and 26 |
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| 311 | 295 | | (v) Quality assurance processes recurring at 27 |
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| 312 | 296 | | reasonable intervals to ensure that the social media platform's mitigation 28 |
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| 313 | 297 | | procedures under this subsection are working as intended. 29 |
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| 314 | 298 | | (e)(1) A social media platform shall ensure that information about its 30 |
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| 315 | 299 | | content policies, settings, and best practices for content featuring minors 31 |
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| 316 | 300 | | are publicly available, understandable to both adults and minors, and 32 |
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| 317 | 301 | | informed by research and outside expertise. 33 |
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| 318 | 302 | | (2) The information under subdivision (e)(1) of this section 34 |
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| 319 | 303 | | shall: 35 |
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