Senate BillFailedBusiness and Professions
SB 780: Cyberbullying Protection Act: liability.
What SB 780 does, verified February 3, 2026
<p>This bill requires social media platforms to establish a prominent mechanism to report cyberbullying. This mechanism should allow anyone, whether or not they have a profile on the platform, to report bullying or content that violates the platform's terms of service related to cyberbullying.</p> <p>Violators of this requirement will be liable for $50,000 for each violation. The Attorney General will be among the plaintiffs who can bring this liability claim.</p>
Bill journey
✓IntroducedComplete
2In CommitteeCurrent
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. (2026-02-02)Alert me
Author and sponsors
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| Feb. 02, 2026 | Returned to Secretary of Senate pursuant to Joint Rule 56. |
| Mar. 12, 2025 | Referred to Com. on JUD. |
| Feb. 24, 2025 | From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 24. |
| Feb. 24, 2025 | Read first time. |
| Feb. 21, 2025 | Introduced. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print. |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, February 21, 2025 · 438 words
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Bill
No. 780
| Introduced by Senator Stern |
February 21, 2025 |
An act to amend Section 22589.3 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to social media.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 780, as introduced, Stern. Cyberbullying Protection Act: liability.
The Cyberbullying Protection Act requires a social media platform to take certain actions to mitigate or prevent bullying on the social media platform, including establish a prominent mechanism within its internet-based service that allows any individual, whether or not that individual has a profile on the internet-based service, to report cyberbullying or any content that violates the existing terms of service related to cyberbullying, as prescribed. The act makes a violator liable to certain plaintiffs, including the Attorney General, for $10,000 for each violation, among other relief.
This bill would instead make a violator liable for $50,000 for each violation.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section 22589.3 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:22589.3.
(a) (1)(2) In a successful action brought to enforce this chapter, the court may order injunctive relief to obtain compliance with this chapter and may award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to the prevailing plaintiff.
(b) For purposes of this section, each day a social media platform is in violation of a requirement of this chapter constitutes a separate violation.
(c) (1) The remedies provided by this section are in addition to any other civil, criminal, and administrative remedies, penalties, or sanctions provided by law and do not supplant, but are cumulative to, other remedies, penalties, or sanctions.
(2) The duties and obligations imposed by this section are cumulative with any other duties or obligations imposed under other law and shall not be construed to relieve any party from any duties or obligations imposed under other law.
(3) This section does not impose liability on a social media platform if such liability is prohibited by Section 230 of Title 47 of the United States Code.
Text of SB 780 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions