Algorithm Accountability: Social Media Platforms Liable for Physical Harm
This Act imposes a duty of reasonable care on large social media platforms regarding the design of their recommendation algorithms to prevent foreseeable bodily injury or death of users. If this duty is breached, platforms lose their existing legal immunity and can be sued by citizens for compensatory and punitive damages. This enhances online safety and provides new legal recourse for victims, bypassing mandatory arbitration.
Key points
Social media platforms must design algorithms to prevent foreseeable serious physical harm or death to users resulting from the algorithm's operation.
Citizens gain the right to sue platforms for compensatory and punitive damages if an algorithm contributed to bodily injury or death.
Platforms cannot enforce pre-dispute arbitration agreements or joint-action waivers in cases related to algorithm-caused harm.
Status:
Introduced
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