Florida Senate - 2024                                    SB 1448
       
       
        
       By Senator Gruters
       
       
       
       
       
       22-01114A-24                                          20241448__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to transparency in social media;
    3         creating s. 501.20411, F.S.; providing a short title;
    4         providing legislative findings; providing definitions;
    5         requiring foreign-adversary-owned entities operating
    6         social media platforms in the state to publicly
    7         disclose specified information in a certain manner;
    8         requiring foreign-adversary-owned entities operating
    9         social media platforms to implement a user
   10         verification system for certain entities; providing
   11         penalties; requiring enforcement by the Department of
   12         Legal Affairs; providing an effective date.
   13  
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 501.20411, Florida Statutes, is created
   17  to read:
   18         501.20411 Transparency in Social Media Act.—
   19         (1) This section may be cited as the “Transparency in
   20  Social Media Act.”
   21         (2) The Legislature finds that:
   22         (a) Social media platforms play a significant role in
   23  shaping public discourse and opinion.
   24         (b) Algorithms used by social media platforms can influence
   25  user behavior and content visibility.
   26         (c) Transparency in the functioning of such algorithms and
   27  in political and social advertising is vital for safeguarding
   28  democratic values and user privacy.
   29         (d) Ownership of social media platforms by foreign entities
   30  can raise concerns regarding foreign influence and data
   31  security.
   32         (3) For purposes of this section, the term:
   33         (a) “Algorithm” has the same meaning as in s. 501.2041(1).
   34         (b) “Foreign-adversary-owned entity” means a social media
   35  company that is owned or substantially controlled by nationals,
   36  governments, or corporations domiciled, incorporated, or
   37  otherwise holding residence in a country designated as a foreign
   38  adversary under 15 C.F.R. s. 7.4.
   39         (c) “Social media platform” means a public online service
   40  that allows users to create and share or participate in social
   41  networking.
   42         (d) “Social or political advertising” means any
   43  advertisement on a social media platform that discusses social
   44  or political issues or is intended to influence public opinion
   45  or electoral outcomes.
   46         (4)(a) Each foreign-adversary-owned entity operating a
   47  social media platform in the state must publicly disclose the
   48  core functional elements of the social media platform’s content
   49  curation and algorithms.
   50         (b) The disclosure must identify:
   51         1. The factors that influence content ranking and
   52  visibility.
   53         2. Measures taken to address misinformation and harmful
   54  content.
   55         3. The process of personalization and targeting of content.
   56         (5) Each foreign-adversary-owned entity operating a social
   57  media platform must make publicly available the source code of
   58  its algorithms through an open-source license.
   59         (6)(a) Each foreign-adversary-owned entity operating a
   60  social media platform must implement a user verification system
   61  for each user and organization that purchases advertisements
   62  concerning social or political issues. The system must verify
   63  key identifying information, including citizenship, residency,
   64  and age of the user or the individuals that own the
   65  organization, as applicable.
   66         (b) Once verified, the identity of the purchaser of each
   67  social or political advertisement must be disclosed with the
   68  advertisement.
   69         (7)(a) A foreign-adversary-owned entity operating a social
   70  media platform that violates this section is liable up to
   71  $10,000 for each discrete violation.
   72         (b) The Department of Legal Affairs shall enforce this
   73  section.
   74         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.