Florida 2022 Regular Session

Florida House Bill H0299 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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10	10	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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14	14	A bill to be entitled 1
15	15	An act relating to social media platforms; amending s. 2
16	16	501.2041, F.S.; providing legislative findings; 3
17	17	revising the definition of the term "social media 4
18	18	platform"; conforming cross -references; creating s. 5
19	19	501.2042, F.S.; providing requirements for social 6
20	20	media platforms relating to acceptable use policies, 7
21	21	quarterly transparency reports, and a complaint 8
22	22	system; requiring social media platforms to take 9
23	23	specified actions upon receiving notices of illegal 10
24	24	activity or content; authorizing the Attorney General 11
25	25	to bring an action against social media platforms and 12
26	26	to recover certain costs; providing an effective date. 13
27	27	14
28	28	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 15
29	29	16
30	30	Section 1. Subsections (1) through (10) of section 17
31	31	501.2041, Florida Statutes, are renumbered as subsections (2) 18
32	32	through (11), respectively, present subsections (1), (3), (6), 19
33	33	and (7) are amended, and a new subsection (1) is added to that 20
34	34	section, to read: 21
35	35	501.2041 Unlawful acts and practices by social media 22
36	36	platforms.— 23
37	37	(1) The Legislature finds that: 24
38	38	(a) Each person in the state has a fundamental interest in 25
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47	47	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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49	49
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51	51	the free exchange of ideas and information, which includes the 26
52	52	freedom to share and receive ideas and information. 27
53	53	(b) The state has a fundamental interest in protecting the 28
54	54	free exchange of ideas and information in the state. 29
55	55	(c) Social media platforms function as common carriers, 30
56	56	are affected with a public interest, ar e central public forums 31
57	57	for public debate, and have enjoyed governmental support in the 32
58	58	United States. 33
59	59	(d) Social media platforms with the largest number of 34
60	60	users are common carriers by virtue of their market dominance. 35
61	61	(2)(1) As used in this section and s. 501.2042, the term: 36
62	62	(a) "Algorithm" means a mathematical set of rules that 37
63	63	specifies how a group of data behaves and that will assist in 38
64	64	ranking search results and maintaining order or that is used in 39
65	65	sorting or ranking content or material based on relevancy or 40
66	66	other factors instead of using published time or chronological 41
67	67	order of such content or material. 42
68	68	(b) "Censor" includes any action taken by a social media 43
69	69	platform to delete, regulate, restrict, edit, alter, inhibit the 44
70	70	publication or repub lication of, suspend a right to post, 45
71	71	remove, or post an addendum to any content or material posted by 46
72	72	a user. The term also includes actions to inhibit the ability of 47
73	73	a user to be viewable by or to interact with another user of the 48
74	74	social media platform. 49
75	75	(c) "Deplatform" means the action or practice by a social 50
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84	84	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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88	88	media platform to permanently delete or ban a user or to 51
89	89	temporarily delete or ban a user from the social media platform 52
90	90	for more than 14 days. 53
91	91	(d) "Journalistic enterprise" means an entity doin g 54
92	92	business in Florida that: 55
93	93	1. Publishes in excess of 100,000 words available online 56
94	94	with at least 50,000 paid subscribers or 100,000 monthly active 57
95	95	users; 58
96	96	2. Publishes 100 hours of audio or video available online 59
97	97	with at least 100 million viewers annually; 60
98	98	3. Operates a cable channel that provides more than 40 61
99	99	hours of content per week to more than 100,000 cable television 62
100	100	subscribers; or 63
101	101	4. Operates under a broadcast license issued by the 64
102	102	Federal Communications Commission. 65
103	103	(e) "Post-prioritization" means action by a social media 66
104	104	platform to place, feature, or prioritize certain content or 67
105	105	material ahead of, below, or in a more or less prominent 68
106	106	position than others in a newsfeed, a feed, a view, or in search 69
107	107	results. The term does not include post-prioritization of 70
108	108	content and material of a third party, including other users, 71
109	109	based on payments by that third party, to the social media 72
110	110	platform. 73
111	111	(f) "Shadow ban" means action by a social media platform, 74
112	112	through any means, whether the action is determined by a natural 75
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121	121	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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125	125	person or an algorithm, to limit or eliminate the exposure of a 76
126	126	user or content or material posted by a user to other users of 77
127	127	the social media platform. This term includes acts of shadow 78
128	128	banning by a social media platform which are not readily 79
129	129	apparent to a user. 80
130	130	(g) "Social media platform" means any information service, 81
131	131	system, Internet search engine, or access software provider 82
132	132	that: 83
133	133	1. Provides or enables computer access by multiple users 84
134	134	to a computer server, including an In ternet platform or a social 85
135	135	media site; 86
136	136	2. Operates as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited 87
137	137	liability company, corporation, association, or other legal 88
138	138	entity; 89
139	139	3. Does business in the state; and 90
140	140	4. Satisfies at least one of the following thres holds: 91
141	141	a. Has annual gross revenues in excess of $100 million, as 92
142	142	adjusted in January of each odd -numbered year to reflect any 93
143	143	increase in the Consumer Price Index. 94
144	144	b. Has at least 100 million monthly individual platform 95
145	145	participants globally. 96
146	146	97
147	147	The term does not include any information service, system, 98
148	148	Internet search engine, or access software provider operated by 99
149	149	a company that owns and operates a theme park or entertainment 100
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158	158	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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162	162	complex as defined in s. 509.013 ; electronic mail; or any online 101
163	163	service, application, or website that consists primarily of 102
164	164	news, sports, entertainment, or other information or content 103
165	165	that is not user generated but is preselected by the provider 104
166	166	and for which any chat, comment, or interactive functionality is 105
167	167	incidental to, direc tly related to, or dependent upon the 106
168	168	provision of the news, sports, entertainment, or other 107
169	169	information or content . 108
170	170	(h) "User" means a person who resides or is domiciled in 109
171	171	this state and who has an account on a social media platform, 110
172	172	regardless of whether the person posts or has posted content or 111
173	173	material to the social media platform. 112
174	174	(4)(3) For purposes of subparagraph (3)(d)1. (2)(d)1., a 113
175	175	notification must: 114
176	176	(a) Be in writing. 115
177	177	(b) Be delivered via electronic mail or direct electronic 116
178	178	notification to the user within 7 days after the censoring 117
179	179	action. 118
180	180	(c) Include a thorough rationale explaining the reason 119
181	181	that the social media platform censored the user. 120
182	182	(d) Include a precise and thorough explanation of how the 121
183	183	social media platform became awar e of the censored content or 122
184	184	material, including a thorough explanation of the algorithms 123
185	185	used, if any, to identify or flag the user's content or material 124
186	186	as objectionable. 125
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195	195	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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199	199	(7)(6) A user may only bring a private cause of action for 126
200	200	violations of paragrap h (3)(b) (2)(b) or subparagraph (3)(d)1. 127
201	201	(2)(d)1. In a private cause of action brought under paragraph 128
202	202	(3)(b) (2)(b) or subparagraph (3)(d)1. (2)(d)1., the court may 129
203	203	award the following remedies to the user: 130
204	204	(a) Up to $100,000 in statutory damages per pr oven claim. 131
205	205	(b) Actual damages. 132
206	206	(c) If aggravating factors are present, punitive damages. 133
207	207	(d) Other forms of equitable relief, including injunctive 134
208	208	relief. 135
209	209	(e) If the user was deplatformed in violation of paragraph 136
210	210	(3)(b) (2)(b), costs and reasonab le attorney fees. 137
211	211	(8)(7) For purposes of bringing an action in accordance 138
212	212	with subsections (5) and (6) and (7), each failure to comply 139
213	213	with the individual provisions of subsection (3) (2) shall be 140
214	214	treated as a separate violation, act, or practice. For pu rposes 141
215	215	of bringing an action in accordance with subsections (5) and (6) 142
216	216	and (7), a social media platform that censors, shadow bans, 143
217	217	deplatforms, or applies post -prioritization algorithms to 144
218	218	candidates and users in the state is conclusively presumed to be 145
219	219	both engaged in substantial and not isolated activities within 146
220	220	the state and operating, conducting, engaging in, or carrying on 147
221	221	a business, and doing business in this state, and is therefore 148
222	222	subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state. 149
223	223	Section 2. Section 501.2042, Florida Statutes, is created 150
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232	232	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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236	236	to read: 151
237	237	501.2042 Acceptable use policy; transparency report; 152
238	238	complaint procedures; appeals. — 153
239	239	(1) A social media platform must publish an acceptable use 154
240	240	policy in a location that is easily accessible to a user. 155
241	241	(2) A social media platform's acceptable use policy must: 156
242	242	(a) Reasonably inform users about the types of content 157
243	243	allowed on the social media platform. 158
244	244	(b) Describe the steps the social media platform will take 159
245	245	to ensure that content complies with the acceptable use policy. 160
246	246	(c) Describe the means by which users may notify the 161
247	247	social media platform of content that potentially violates the 162
248	248	acceptable use policy, illegal content, or illegal activity, 163
249	249	which includes: 164
250	250	1. A live company representative who is available 8 hours 165
251	251	a day, 5 days a week to take user complaints through a toll -free 166
252	252	telephone number. 167
253	253	2. An e-mail address or relevant complaint inta ke 168
254	254	mechanism to handle user complaints. 169
255	255	3. A complaint system as described in subsection (5). 170
256	256	(3) As part of a social media platform's acceptable use 171
257	257	policy, the social media platform must publish a quarterly 172
258	258	transparency report that includes, with res pect to the preceding 173
259	259	3-month period: 174
260	260	(a) The total number of instances in which the social 175
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269	269	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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273	273	media platform was alerted to illegal content, illegal activity, 176
274	274	or content that potentially violates the acceptable use policy 177
275	275	by: 178
276	276	1. A user; 179
277	277	2. An employee of or a person contracting with the social 180
278	278	media platform; or 181
279	279	3. An internal automated detection tool; 182
280	280	(b) Subject to subsection (4), the total number of 183
281	281	instances in which the social media platform took action with 184
282	282	respect to illegal content, illegal activity, or content that 185
283	283	potentially violates the acceptable use policy, including: 186
284	284	1. Content removal; 187
285	285	2. Content demonetization; 188
286	286	3. Post-prioritization; 189
287	287	4. The addition of any content assessment; 190
288	288	5. Account suspension; 191
289	289	6. Account removal; or 192
290	290	7. Any other action taken in accordance with the social 193
291	291	media platform's acceptable use policy; 194
292	292	(c) The country in which the user who provided the content 195
293	293	resides for each instance described in paragraph (b); 196
294	294	(d) The total number of coordinated camp aigns, if 197
295	295	applicable; 198
296	296	(e) The total number of instances in which a user appealed 199
297	297	the social media platform's decision to remove the user's 200
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306	306	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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310	310	content that potentially violates the acceptable use policy; 201
311	311	(f) The percentage of appeals described in paragraph (e) 202
312	312	that resulted in the restoration of the content; and 203
313	313	(g) A description of each tool, practice, action, or 204
314	314	technique used in enforcing the acceptable use policy. 205
315	315	(4)(a) The information published by the social media 206
316	316	platform in subsection (3) must b e categorized by: 207
317	317	1. Type of rule violated; and 208
318	318	2. Source of the alert of illegal content, illegal 209
319	319	activity, or content that potentially violates the acceptable 210
320	320	use policy, including by: 211
321	321	a. A government; 212
322	322	b. A user; 213
323	323	c. An internal automated detection tool; 214
324	324	d. A coordinated effort with other social media platforms; 215
325	325	or 216
326	326	e. An employee of or a person contracting with the social 217
327	327	media platform. 218
328	328	(b) A social media platform must publish the transparency 219
329	329	report information described in subsecti on (3) with an open 220
330	330	license, in a machine -readable and open format, and in a 221
331	331	location that is easily accessible to users. 222
332	332	(5) A social media platform must provide an easily 223
333	333	accessible complaint system to enable a user to submit a 224
334	334	complaint in good faith and keep track of the status of the 225
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343	343	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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347	347	complaint, including a complaint regarding: 226
348	348	(a) Illegal content or illegal activity; or 227
349	349	(b) A decision made by the social media platform to remove 228
350	350	content posted by the user. 229
351	351	(6)(a) If a social media platform recei ves notice of 230
352	352	illegal content or illegal activity on the social media 231
353	353	platform, the social media platform must make a good faith 232
354	354	effort to evaluate the legality of the content or activity 233
355	355	within 24 hours after receiving the notice, subject to 234
356	356	reasonable exceptions based on concerns about the legitimacy of 235
357	357	the notice. 236
358	358	(b) Except as provided in paragraph (c), if a social media 237
359	359	platform removes content based on a violation of the platform's 238
360	360	acceptable use policy, the social media platform must, 239
361	361	concurrently with the removal: 240
362	362	1. Notify the user who provided the content of the removal 241
363	363	and explain why the content was removed; 242
364	364	2. Allow the user to appeal the social media platform's 243
365	365	decision to remove the content; and 244
366	366	3. Provide written notice to the user wh o provided the 245
367	367	content of: 246
368	368	a. The determination regarding an appeal requested under 247
369	369	subparagraph 2.; and 248
370	370	b. If the social media platform reverses its decision to 249
371	371	remove the content, the reason for the reversal. 250
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380	380	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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384	384	(c) A social media platform is not requ ired to provide a 251
385	385	user with notice of or an opportunity to appeal under paragraph 252
386	386	(b) if the social media platform: 253
387	387	1. Is unable to contact the user after taking reasonable 254
388	388	steps to make contact; or 255
389	389	2. Knows that the content that potentially violates t he 256
390	390	acceptable use policy relates to an ongoing law enforcement 257
391	391	investigation. 258
392	392	(7) If a social media platform receives a user complaint 259
393	393	that the social media platform removed content provided by a 260
394	394	user from the platform that the user believes was not cont ent 261
395	395	that potentially violates the acceptable use policy, the social 262
396	396	media platform shall, no later than the 14th day after the date 263
397	397	on which the platform receives the complaint: 264
398	398	(a) Review the content; 265
399	399	(b) Determine whether the content adheres to the s ocial 266
400	400	media platform's acceptable use policy; 267
401	401	(c) Take appropriate steps based on the determination made 268
402	402	under paragraph (b); and 269
403	403	(d) Notify the user regarding the determination made under 270
404	404	paragraph (b) and the steps taken under paragraph (c). 271
405	405	(8)(a) The Attorney General may bring an action against a 272
406	406	social media platform to enjoin a violation of this section. 273
407	407	(b) If a court grants an injunction in an action brought 274
408	408	under this section, the Attorney General may recover costs 275
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417	417	F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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421	421	incurred in bringing the action, including reasonable attorney 276
422	422	fees and reasonable investigative costs. 277
423	423	Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 278