Assembly Bill A7865A

Signed By Governor
2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting hateful conduct on their platform

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Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - Signed by Governor

  • 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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Bill Amendments

2021-A7865 - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S4511
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §394-ccc, Gen Bus L

2021-A7865 - Summary

Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting hateful conduct on their platform.

2021-A7865 - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7865
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Science and Technology
 
 AN ACT to amend the general  business  law,  in  relation  to  requiring
   social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting
   hate speech on their platform

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. 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 A STATEMENT ABOUT A
 GROUP OF PERSONS BECAUSE OF RACE, ETHNICITY,  NATIONALITY,  RELIGION  OR
 BELIEFS,  SEXUAL  ORIENTATION,  GENDER  IDENTITY  OR PHYSICAL, MENTAL OR
 INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY.
   (B)  "SOCIAL  MEDIA  NETWORK"  MEANS  SERVICE  PROVIDERS,  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.
   2. A SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK SHALL PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A CLEAR AND EASI-
 LY  ACCESSIBLE  MECHANISM  FOR  INDIVIDUAL  USERS  TO  REPORT  AND  MAKE
 COMPLAINTS OF HATE SPEECH. SUCH MECHANISM SHALL BE CLEARLY ACCESSIBLE TO
 USERS OF SUCH NETWORK AND EASILY  ACCESSED  FROM  BOTH  A  SOCIAL  MEDIA
 NETWORKS' APPLICATION AND WEBSITE.
   3.  EACH  SOCIAL  MEDIA  NETWORK SHALL HAVE A CLEAR AND CONCISE POLICY
 READILY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE ON THEIR WEBSITE AND APPLICATION  WHICH
 INCLUDES  HOW  SUCH  SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK WILL RESPOND AND ADDRESS INCI-
 DENTS OF HATE SPEECH WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED. SUCH POLICY SHALL INCLUDE
 A MECHANISM TO ALLOW SUCH SOCIAL  MEDIA  NETWORK  TO  PROVIDE  A  DIRECT
 RESPONSE  TO  ANY  INDIVIDUAL  WHO HAS REPORTED POSSIBLE HATE SPEECH AND
 INFORM SUCH INDIVIDUAL HOW THE MATTER IS BEING HANDLED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.

co-Sponsors

2021-A7865A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S4511
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §394-ccc, Gen Bus L

2021-A7865A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting hateful conduct on their platform.

2021-A7865A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  7865--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Science and  Technology  --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
   ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  general  business law, in relation to requiring
   social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting
   hateful conduct on their platform
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The general business law is amended by adding a new section
 394-ccc to read as follows:
   §  394-CCC.  SOCIAL  MEDIA NETWORKS; HATEFUL CONDUCT PROHIBITED. 1. AS
 USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEAN-
 INGS:
   (A) "HATEFUL CONDUCT" MEANS THE USE OF A SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK TO VILI-
 FY, HUMILIATE, OR INCITE VIOLENCE AGAINST A GROUP OR A CLASS OF  PERSONS
 ON THE BASIS OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, ETHNICITY, NATIONAL ORIGIN, DISA-
 BILITY, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY OR GENDER EXPRESSION.
   (B)  "SOCIAL  MEDIA  NETWORK"  MEANS  SERVICE  PROVIDERS,  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.
   2. A SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK THAT CONDUCTS BUSINESS IN THE  STATE,  SHALL
 PROVIDE  AND  MAINTAIN A CLEAR AND EASILY ACCESSIBLE MECHANISM FOR INDI-
 VIDUAL USERS TO REPORT INCIDENTS  OF  HATEFUL  CONDUCT.  SUCH  MECHANISM
 SHALL BE CLEARLY ACCESSIBLE TO USERS OF SUCH NETWORK AND EASILY ACCESSED
 FROM  BOTH  A  SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS' APPLICATION AND WEBSITE, AND SHALL
 ALLOW THE SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK TO PROVIDE A DIRECT RESPONSE TO ANY INDI-
 VIDUAL REPORTING HATEFUL CONDUCT INFORMING THEM OF  HOW  THE  MATTER  IS
 BEING HANDLED.
   3.  EACH  SOCIAL  MEDIA  NETWORK SHALL HAVE A CLEAR AND CONCISE POLICY
 READILY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE ON THEIR WEBSITE AND APPLICATION  WHICH
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

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