Bill Summary for S 620 (2023-2024)

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Summary date: 

Apr 6 2023

Bill Information:

View NCGA Bill Details2023-2024 Session
Senate Bill 620 (Public) Filed Wednesday, April 5, 2023
AN ACT TO ENACT THE SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY ACT TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES FROM CENSORING CERTAIN POLITICAL OR RELIGIOUS SPEECH.
Intro. by Alexander, Johnson, Corbin.

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Bill summary

Enacts new Article 9 (Social Medial Accountability Act) in GS Chapter 75. Establishes a private right of action for a user (a State resident who is a natural person, age 18 or older) against the owner of a social media website who contracts with the user if the website (1) deletes or censors the user’s religious speech or political speech, or (2) uses an algorithm to disfavor or censor the user’s religious speech or political speech. Makes this conduct an unfair and deceptive trade practice and a violation of GS 75-1.1. Provides for remedies including actual damages, statutory damages of up to $75,000, punitive damages, and injunctive or other equitable relief. Outlines exceptions to the section, including calls for immediate violence or encouraging criminal conduct, but specifies that a user’s alleged hate speech, as defined, cannot be used as a basis for justification or as a defense to an action under the section. 

Provides relevant legislative findings and definitions for the section, including a definition of “social media website,” which is a website open to the public that allows users to communicate with each other, with more than 75 million users with user profiles provided by the website, that from its inception had no specific affiliation with any one religion or political party. 

Amends GS 114-2 to add new subsection (11), making it the duty of the Attorney General to enforce Article 9 of GS Chapter 75.