Senate Bill S4512

2021-2022 Legislative Session

Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting vaccine misinformation on their platform

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Internet And Technology 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

Do you support this bill?

Please enter your contact information

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.
Actions

Bill Amendments

2021-S4512 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7581
Current Committee:
Senate Internet And Technology
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §394-ccc, Gen Bus L

2021-S4512 - Summary

Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms and policies for reporting vaccine misinformation on their platform.

2021-S4512 - Sponsor Memo

2021-S4512 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4512
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 5, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Internet and Technology
 
 AN ACT to amend the general  business  law,  in  relation  to  requiring
   social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms for reporting
   vaccine misinformation 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; VACCINE  MISINFORMATION  PROHIBITED.
 1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A) "VACCINE MISINFORMATION" MEANS A PUBLIC EXPRESSION, EITHER VERBAL-
 LY,  IN  WRITING  OR  THROUGH  IMAGES, WHICH INTENTIONALLY IS MISLEADING
 ABOUT VACCINES, VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS, VACCINE COMPONENTS, VACCINE  EFFI-
 CACY,  THE  RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN  ILLNESS  AND  VACCINES,  OR ANY OTHER
 SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO VACCINES.
   (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 VACCINE MISINFORMATION. 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  VACCINE  MISINFORMATION WHICH HAVE BEEN REPORTED. SUCH POLICY
 SHALL INCLUDE A MECHANISM TO ALLOW SUCH SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK TO  PROVIDE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

2021-S4512A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A7581
Current Committee:
Senate Internet And Technology
Law Section:
General Business Law
Laws Affected:
Add §394-ccc, Gen Bus L

2021-S4512A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires social media networks to provide and maintain mechanisms and policies for reporting vaccine misinformation on their platform.

2021-S4512A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2021-S4512A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  4512--A
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 5, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  KAPLAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Internet 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
   vaccine misinformation 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; VACCINE MISINFORMATION PROHIBITED.
 1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A) "VACCINE MISINFORMATION" MEANS A PUBLIC EXPRESSION, EITHER VERBAL-
 LY, IN WRITING OR THROUGH  IMAGES,  WHICH  INTENTIONALLY  IS  MISLEADING
 ABOUT  VACCINES, VACCINE SIDE EFFECTS, VACCINE COMPONENTS, VACCINE EFFI-
 CACY, THE RELATIONSHIP  BETWEEN  ILLNESS  AND  VACCINES,  OR  ANY  OTHER
 SUBSTANTIVE INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO VACCINES.
   (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 VACCINE MISINFORMATION.  SUCH  MECH-
 ANISM  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
 INDIVIDUAL REPORTING VACCINE MISINFORMATION INFORMING THEM  OF  HOW  THE
 MATTER IS BEING HANDLED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.