Meta lobbyists are urging California lawmakers to exempt social media platforms from legislation that would increase penalties in child-harm cases
Meta's plea comes as it faces hundreds of lawsuits accusing the company of failing to protect kids' safety on its platforms.
Lead Source
More
Discussion
TechSnif Coverage
Meta Lobbying California to Shield Platforms From Child-Harm Laws
Meta is pushing California lawmakers to carve out social media exemptions from tougher child-harm penalties.
Meta is actively lobbying California legislators to exempt social media companies from proposed legislation that would ramp up penalties in child-harm cases. The push comes at a particularly awkward time for the company.
Meta currently faces hundreds of lawsuits alleging it failed to adequately protect children on its platforms. Now it wants lawmakers to ensure tougher child-safety penalties don't apply to companies like itself.
The lobbying effort targets legislation specifically designed to increase consequences when children are harmed — and Meta wants social media platforms carved out entirely.
It's a bold move. The company is essentially asking for legal shelter while simultaneously defending itself against a mountain of litigation over the exact same issue. California lawmakers now face pressure from one of the state's biggest tech players to water down protections aimed at kids.