| 1 | | - | By: Hughes, et al. S.B. No. 2373 |
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| 1 | + | By: Hughes, Bettencourt S.B. No. 2373 |
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| 2 | + | (In the Senate - Filed March 8, 2019; March 21, 2019, read |
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| 3 | + | first time and referred to Committee on State Affairs; |
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| 4 | + | April 17, 2019, reported adversely, with favorable Committee |
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| 5 | + | Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0, 1 present not |
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| 6 | + | voting; April 17, 2019, sent to printer.) |
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| 7 | + | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 8 | + | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2373 By: Hughes |
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| 2 | 9 | | |
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| 3 | 10 | | |
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| 4 | 11 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 12 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 13 | | relating to certain deceptive trade practices by interactive |
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| 7 | 14 | | computer services. |
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| 8 | 15 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 16 | | SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as the Social Media |
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| 10 | 17 | | Deceptive Trade Practices Act. |
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| 11 | 18 | | SECTION 2. Chapter 17, Business & Commerce Code, is amended |
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| 12 | 19 | | by adding Subchapter M to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 20 | | SUBCHAPTER M. DISCOURSE ON INTERACTIVE WEB-BASED PLATFORMS |
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| 14 | 21 | | Sec. 17.961. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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| 15 | 22 | | (1) "Interactive computer service" means any |
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| 16 | 23 | | information service, system, or access software provider that |
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| 17 | 24 | | provides or enables computer access by multiple users to a server, |
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| 18 | 25 | | including a service, system, web site, web application, or web |
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| 19 | 26 | | portal that provides a social media platform for users to engage in |
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| 20 | 27 | | expressive activity. |
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| 21 | 28 | | (2) "User" means any person that posts, uploads, |
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| 22 | 29 | | transmits, or otherwise publishes content through any interactive |
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| 23 | 30 | | computer service, including a social media platform. |
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| 24 | 31 | | Sec. 17.962. INAPPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This |
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| 25 | 32 | | subchapter does not apply to an Internet service provider as |
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| 26 | 33 | | defined by Section 324.055. |
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| 27 | 34 | | Sec. 17.963. UNLAWFUL ACTS. (a) Except as provided by |
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| 28 | 35 | | Subsection (b), an interactive computer service that represents the |
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| 29 | 36 | | service as viewpoint neutral, impartial, or non-biased may not on |
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| 30 | 37 | | the basis of the content or viewpoint expressed: |
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| 31 | 38 | | (1) block a user's speech; |
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| 32 | 39 | | (2) censor a user's speech; |
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| 33 | 40 | | (3) ban a user; |
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| 34 | 41 | | (4) remove a user's speech; |
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| 35 | 42 | | (5) shadow ban a user; |
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| 36 | 43 | | (6) de-platform a user; |
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| 37 | 44 | | (7) de-boost a user's speech; |
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| 38 | 45 | | (8) de-monetize a user; or |
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| 39 | 46 | | (9) otherwise restrict speech of a user. |
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| 40 | 47 | | (b) Pursuant to 47 U.S.C. Section 230(c), it is a defense to |
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| 41 | 48 | | liability under this section that an interactive computer service: |
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| 42 | 49 | | (1) voluntarily and in good faith acted to restrict |
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| 43 | | - | access to or availability of content that the interactive computer |
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| 44 | | - | service reasonably considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, |
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| 45 | | - | filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise |
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| 46 | | - | objectionable, whether or not such content is constitutionally |
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| 47 | | - | protected; or |
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| 50 | + | access to or availability of content that is objectively considered |
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| 51 | + | to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, |
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| 52 | + | harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such content |
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| 53 | + | is constitutionally protected; or |
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