Session:   

Bill

Home - Bills - Bill - Authors - Dates - Keywords - Tags - Locations

Measure AB 656
Authors Schiavo  
Coauthors: Lowenthal  
Subject Account cancellation.
Relating To relating to social media platforms.
Title An act to add Title 25 (commencing with Section 3273.90) to Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, relating to social media platforms.
Last Action Dt 2025-10-08
State Chaptered
Status Chaptered
Active? Y
Vote Required Majority
Appropriation No
Fiscal Committee No
Local Program No
Substantive Changes None
Urgency No
Tax Levy No
Leginfo Link Bill
Actions
2025-10-08     Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 464, Statutes of 2025.
2025-10-08     Approved by the Governor.
2025-09-22     Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.
2025-09-10     Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 3198.).
2025-09-09     In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
2025-09-09     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 40. Noes 0. Page 2748.).
2025-09-08     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-09-04     Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
2025-07-03     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-07-02     From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 13. Noes 0.) (July 1).
2025-06-23     From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-06-12     In committee: Set, first hearing. Hearing canceled at the request of author.
2025-05-28     Referred to Com. on JUD.
2025-05-20     In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
2025-05-19     Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 71. Noes 0. Page 1596.)
2025-05-12     Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
2025-05-08     Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
2025-05-07     From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 14. Noes 0.) (May 6).
2025-03-25     Re-referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-03-24     From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on P. & C.P. Read second time and amended.
2025-03-24     Referred to Com. on P. & C.P.
2025-02-14     From printer. May be heard in committee March 16.
2025-02-13     Read first time. To print.
Keywords
Tags
Versions
Chaptered     2025-10-08
Enrolled     2025-09-12
Amended Senate     2025-09-04
Amended Senate     2025-06-23
Amended Assembly     2025-05-08
Amended Assembly     2025-03-24
Introduced     2025-02-13
Last Version Text
<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<ns0:MeasureDoc xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:ns0="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1#" xmlns:ns3="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1.0" xsi:schemaLocation="http://lc.ca.gov/legalservices/schemas/caml.1# xca.1.xsd">
	


	<ns0:Description>
		<ns0:Id>20250AB__065693CHP</ns0:Id>
		<ns0:VersionNum>93</ns0:VersionNum>
		<ns0:History>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>INTRODUCED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-02-13</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-03-24</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-05-08</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-06-23</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>AMENDED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-04</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>PASSED_ASSEMBLY</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-10</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>PASSED_SENATE</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-09</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>ENROLLED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-09-12</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>CHAPTERED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-10-08</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>APPROVED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-10-08</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
			<ns0:Action>
				<ns0:ActionText>FILED</ns0:ActionText>
				<ns0:ActionDate>2025-10-08</ns0:ActionDate>
			</ns0:Action>
		</ns0:History>
		<ns0:LegislativeInfo>
			<ns0:SessionYear>2025</ns0:SessionYear>
			<ns0:SessionNum>0</ns0:SessionNum>
			<ns0:MeasureType>AB</ns0:MeasureType>
			<ns0:MeasureNum>656</ns0:MeasureNum>
			<ns0:MeasureState>CHP</ns0:MeasureState>
			<ns0:ChapterYear>2025</ns0:ChapterYear>
			<ns0:ChapterType>CHP</ns0:ChapterType>
			<ns0:ChapterSessionNum>0</ns0:ChapterSessionNum>
			<ns0:ChapterNum>464</ns0:ChapterNum>
		</ns0:LegislativeInfo>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="LEAD_AUTHOR">Introduced by Assembly Member Schiavo</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:AuthorText authorType="COAUTHOR_ORIGINATING">(Coauthor: Assembly Member Lowenthal)</ns0:AuthorText>
		<ns0:Authors>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>LEAD_AUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Schiavo</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
			<ns0:Legislator>
				<ns0:Contribution>COAUTHOR</ns0:Contribution>
				<ns0:House>ASSEMBLY</ns0:House>
				<ns0:Name>Lowenthal</ns0:Name>
			</ns0:Legislator>
		</ns0:Authors>
		<ns0:Title>An act to add Title 25 (commencing with Section 3273.90) to Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code, relating to social media platforms.</ns0:Title>
		<ns0:RelatingClause>social media platforms</ns0:RelatingClause>
		<ns0:GeneralSubject>
			<ns0:Subject>Account cancellation.</ns0:Subject>
		</ns0:GeneralSubject>
		<ns0:DigestText>
			<html:p>Existing law generally regulates social media platforms, including by requiring a social media company to post terms of service for each social media platform owned or operated by the company in a manner reasonably designed to inform all users of the social media platform of the existence and contents of the terms of service, as prescribed.</html:p>
			<html:p>Existing law, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information that is collected or sold by a business, including the right to request that a business delete personal information about the consumer that the business has collected from the consumer, as specified. Existing law, the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 24 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election,
			 amended, added to, and reenacted the CCPA.</html:p>
			<html:p>This bill would require a social media platform to provide a clear and conspicuous button that enables the user to delete their account and provide the user with the necessary steps to delete the user’s account and personal information if the user clicks on that button,
			 in accordance with specified procedures. The bill would prohibit a social media platform from obstructing or interfering with a user’s ability to delete their account, as specified. The bill would provide that a user’s request to delete an account constitutes a request to delete the consumer’s personal information under the CCPA.</html:p>
		</ns0:DigestText>
		<ns0:DigestKey>
			<ns0:VoteRequired>MAJORITY</ns0:VoteRequired>
			<ns0:Appropriation>NO</ns0:Appropriation>
			<ns0:FiscalCommittee>NO</ns0:FiscalCommittee>
			<ns0:LocalProgram>NO</ns0:LocalProgram>
		</ns0:DigestKey>
		<ns0:MeasureIndicators>
			<ns0:ImmediateEffect>NO</ns0:ImmediateEffect>
			<ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
				<ns0:Urgency>NO</ns0:Urgency>
				<ns0:TaxLevy>NO</ns0:TaxLevy>
				<ns0:Election>NO</ns0:Election>
				<ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>NO</ns0:UsualCurrentExpenses>
				<ns0:BudgetBill>NO</ns0:BudgetBill>
				<ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>NO</ns0:Prop25TrailerBill>
			</ns0:ImmediateEffectFlags>
		</ns0:MeasureIndicators>
	</ns0:Description>
	<ns0:Bill id="bill">
		<ns0:Preamble>The people of the State of California do enact as follows:</ns0:Preamble>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_0B4A7645-826B-4BA2-9251-80E5ADA01181">
			<ns0:Num>SECTION 1.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:Content>
				<html:p>The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(a)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					Research demonstrates that adolescent individuals are at greater risk of developing addictive disorders.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(b)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					Further, excessive use of digital and social media has a documented connection to increases in suicide-related outcomes in teenagers and children, such as suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(c)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					According to the University of Chicago, “[f]irst, account deletion options vary considerably across platforms and the language used to describe these options
				is not always clear. Most platforms offer account deletion on desktop browsers but not all allow account deletion from mobile apps or browsers. Second, we found evidence of several dark patterns present in the account deletion interfaces and platform policies. Third, most participants had tried to delete at least one social media account, yet over one-third of deletion attempts were never completed.”
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(d)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					Adolescents seeking to terminate an account that has become a source of addiction should be able to terminate their account without obstruction.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(e)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					For all of these reasons, the Legislature declares it necessary in order to preserve the peace, welfare, and lives of its residents to ensure a minimum level of customer service when users wish to delete their
				accounts.
				</html:p>
			</ns0:Content>
		</ns0:BillSection>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_8156B3B6-8852-48FD-8CE3-A4395A69F54C">
			<ns0:Num>SEC. 2.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:ActionLine action="IS_ADDED" ns3:href="urn:caml:codes:CIV:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'3.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'25.'%5D)" ns3:label="fractionType: LAW_SPREAD||commencingWith: 3273.90" ns3:type="locator">
				Title 25 (commencing with Section 3273.90) is added to Part 4 of Division 3 of the 
				<ns0:DocName>Civil Code</ns0:DocName>
				, to read:
			</ns0:ActionLine>
			<ns0:Fragment>
				<ns0:LawHeading id="id_D2F7AD18-781A-40FC-8BE9-F0C60D7BD546" type="TITLE">
					<ns0:Num>25.</ns0:Num>
					<ns0:LawHeadingVersion id="id_31919275-E6A4-41D5-99CD-114C8E3B65A3">
						<ns0:LawHeadingText>Social Media Platforms Endangering Californians</ns0:LawHeadingText>
					</ns0:LawHeadingVersion>
					<ns0:LawSection id="id_3F738F26-2210-4B97-A2F8-1FFF1B7AB7B3">
						<ns0:Num>3273.90.</ns0:Num>
						<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_62EB5731-5A01-4101-B891-B414E629AA6C">
							<ns0:Content>
								<html:p>As used in this title:</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(a)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									“Clearly and conspicuously” or “clear and conspicuous” has the same meaning as defined in Section 17601 of the Business and Professions Code.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(b)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									“Dark pattern” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (l) of Section 1798.140.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(c)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									“Personal information” has the same meaning as defined in subdivision (v) of Section 1798.140 and any regulations promulgated thereunder. 
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(d)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									“Social media platform” means a social media platform, as defined in Section 22675 of the Business
						  and Professions Code, that generates more than one hundred million dollars ($100,000,000) per year in gross revenues.
								</html:p>
							</ns0:Content>
						</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
					</ns0:LawSection>
					<ns0:LawSection id="id_35C2522E-289E-4889-BF72-7066B2E6CAB9">
						<ns0:Num>3273.91.</ns0:Num>
						<ns0:LawSectionVersion id="id_3172D8D1-B597-42C7-A7F4-1C40945FF59A">
							<ns0:Content>
								<html:p>
									(a)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A social media platform shall provide a clear and conspicuous button that enables the user to delete their account that meets both of the following:
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									Is clearly and conspicuously placed as an immediately visible option in the social media platform’s settings menu with the words “Delete Account.”
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									The settings menu containing the button is accessible in the application, on a browser, or on any other format that a user can use to access the social media platform.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(b)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									(1)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									If a user clicks on the button required by subdivision (a), the social media platform shall, when the button is clicked, provide a user with the steps necessary to complete an account deletion request, which shall include deletion of the user’s personal information.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(2)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									If the social media platform seeks verification of the request to delete the account,
						  that verification shall be done in a cost-effective and easy-to-use manner when the request in paragraph (1) is submitted through preestablished two-factor authentication, email, text message, telephone call, or message.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(c)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A social media platform shall not obstruct or interfere with a user’s ability to delete their account, including, but not limited to, by using dark patterns.
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(d)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A request submitted pursuant to subdivision (b) shall constitute a request to delete the user’s personal information pursuant to Section 1798.105 and shall be processed in accordance with the requirements of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (Title 1.81.5 (commencing with Section 1798.100)).
								</html:p>
								<html:p>
									(e)
									<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
									A user login to an account for which a request under subdivision (b) has been submitted shall not, by itself, revoke that request.
								</html:p>
							</ns0:Content>
						</ns0:LawSectionVersion>
					</ns0:LawSection>
				</ns0:LawHeading>
			</ns0:Fragment>
		</ns0:BillSection>
		<ns0:BillSection id="id_99729819-D207-4F8E-B3A4-301EDB5ADCAD">
			<ns0:Num>SEC. 3.</ns0:Num>
			<ns0:Content>
				<html:p>
					(a)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					The provisions of this act are severable. If any provision of this act or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.
				</html:p>
				<html:p>
					(b)
					<html:span class="EnSpace"/>
					Any waiver of this act shall be void and unenforceable as contrary to public policy.
				</html:p>
			</ns0:Content>
		</ns0:BillSection>
	</ns0:Bill>
</ns0:MeasureDoc>
Last Version Text Digest Existing law generally regulates social media platforms, including by requiring a social media company to post terms of service for each social media platform owned or operated by the company in a manner reasonably designed to inform all users of the social media platform of the existence and contents of the terms of service, as prescribed. Existing law, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), grants a consumer various rights with respect to personal information that is collected or sold by a business, including the right to request that a business delete personal information about the consumer that the business has collected from the consumer, as specified. Existing law, the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020, an initiative measure approved by the voters as Proposition 24 at the November 3, 2020, statewide general election, amended, added to, and reenacted the CCPA. This bill would require a social media platform to provide a clear and conspicuous button that enables the user to delete their account and provide the user with the necessary steps to delete the user’s account and personal information if the user clicks on that button, in accordance with specified procedures. The bill would prohibit a social media platform from obstructing or interfering with a user’s ability to delete their account, as specified. The bill would provide that a user’s request to delete an account constitutes a request to delete the consumer’s personal information under the CCPA.