California, United States

Parents who sued popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok for harming children who have become addicted to their products will not longer be able to do so in California after the introduction of the first-of-its-kind proposal in its legislature.

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Now only prosecutors can file lawsuits against social media companies and they will be liable for damages of up to $250,000 per violation for using features they know can cause children to become addicted.

CalMatters reported that the legislation, which was introduced by Republican Assembly member Jordan Cunningham, was amended last month.

According to Cunningham, the change has been made to avoid opening ''the floodgates to frivolous claims.''

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“Lawmakers seem to be more comfortable letting this be handled by the public prosecutors, who already end up taking the lead on this kind of consumer protection type stuff,” he added.

The bill is facing opposition from tech companies that are based in California which claim it is nearly impossible to separate social media content from the features companies use to deliver it.

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If the companies conduct quarterly audits of their features and remove any harmful products within 30 days of learning they cause children to become addicted, the bill would exempt social media companies from these lawsuits.

Saying the legislation would give social media companies an incentive to police themselves to avoid penalties, Cunningham highlighted that most other products are covered under consumer protection laws that allow people to sue companies for selling products they know to be dangerous.

(With inputs from agencies)

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