California lawmakers are fast-tracking A.B. 1709āa sweeping bill that would ban anyone under 16 from using social media and force every user, regardless of age, to verify their identity before accessing social platforms.
That means that under this bill, all Californians would be required to submit highly sensitive government-issued ID or biometric information to private companies simply to participate in the modern public square. In the name of āsafety,ā this bill would destroy online anonymity, expose sensitive personal data to breach and abuse, and replace parental decision-making with state-mandated censorship.
A.B. 1709 has already passed out of the Assembly Privacy and Judiciary Committees with nearly unanimous support. Its next stop is the Assembly Appropriations Committee, followed by a floor voteālikely within the next week.
By banning access to social media platforms for young people under 16, California is emulating Australia, where early results show exactly what EFF and other critics predicted: overblocking by platforms, leaving youth without support and even adults barred from access, major spikes in VPN use and other workarounds ranging from clever to desperate, and smaller platforms shutting down rather than attempting costly compliance with these sweeping bills.
California should not be racing to replicate those failures. After all, when California leadsāespecially on techāother states follow. There is no reason for California to lead the nation into an unconstitutional social media ban that destroys privacy and harms youth.
Your representatives could vote on A.B. 1709 as soon as next week. If youāre a Californian, email your legislators now and
tell them to vote NO on A.B. 1709.
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