Social Media Companies Could Be Sued If Found Harmful to Children

California may soon pass the first US bill that would hold social media companies liable for products found to be harmful to children. If passed, the law could impact how kids use sites like Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat. On Tuesday, the ‘Social Media Platform Duty to Act ‘ bill cleared a crucial vote in the State Senate. It now moves to the state Senate Appropriations Committee.  

The bill was introduced following a report of an internal Facebook study that showed the company was aware its products were addictive to kids. The bill cites surveys showing 40% of tweens use social media and 45% of teenagers say they are “online almost constantly.”