Senate Bill S7275

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Prohibits hate speech on internet platforms and social media networks

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Consumer Protection Committee


  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2019-S7275 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Consumer Protection
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §394-ccc, Gen Bus L

2019-S7275 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "social media hate speech accountability act"; prohibits hate speech on internet platforms and social media networks; defines terms; provides that the provider of a social media network shall maintain an effective and transparent procedure for handling complaints about hate speech content

2019-S7275 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S7275 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7275
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 15, 2020
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Consumer Protection
 
 AN ACT to amend the general business law, in relation  to  enacting  the
   social media hate speech accountability act
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  the  "social
 media hate speech accountability act".
   §  2. The general business law is amended by adding a new section 394-
 ccc to read as follows:
   § 394-CCC. SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS; HATE SPEECH PROHIBITED. 1.  AS  USED
 IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "HATE SPEECH" MEANS A PUBLIC EXPRESSION, EITHER VERBALLY, IN WRIT-
 ING  OR THROUGH IMAGES, WHICH INTENTIONALLY MAKES AN INSULTING STATEMENT
 ABOUT A GROUP OF PERSONS BECAUSE OF RACE, ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY,  RELI-
 GION OR BELIEFS, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR PHYSICAL, MENTAL
 OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY.
   (B)  "INTERNET  SERVICE PROVIDER" MEANS ANY PERSON, BUSINESS OR ORGAN-
 IZATION QUALIFIED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE  THAT  PROVIDES  INDIVID-
 UALS, CORPORATIONS, OR OTHER ENTITIES WITH THE ABILITY TO CONNECT TO THE
 INTERNET THROUGH EQUIPMENT THAT IS LOCATED IN THIS STATE.
   (C) "TELEMEDIA SERVICE PROVIDERS" OR "PROVIDERS" MEANS SERVICE PROVID-
 ERS,  WHICH, FOR PROFIT-MAKING PURPOSES, OPERATE INTERNET PLATFORMS THAT
 ARE DESIGNED TO ENABLE USERS TO SHARE ANY CONTENT WITH OTHER USERS OR TO
 MAKE SUCH CONTENT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS,
 INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO  FACEBOOK,  YOUTUBE,  TWITTER,  INSTAGRAM,
 SNAPCHAT, TUMBLR AND FLICKR.
   2.  INTERNET PLATFORMS OFFERING JOURNALISTIC OR EDITORIAL CONTENT, THE
 RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHICH LIES WITH THE SERVICE PROVIDER ITSELF, AND SUCH
 INTERNET PLATFORMS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO ENABLE INDIVIDUAL  COMMUNICATION
 OR  THE  DISSEMINATION  OF  SPECIFIC CONTENT SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE SOCIAL
 MEDIA NETWORKS AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH (C) OF SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS
 SECTION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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