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Senate advances social media transparency bill after amendment narrowing scope to social platforms
Summary
First Substitute Senate Bill 228, requiring social media companies to publish clear moderation policies, provide notice and an appeal process and maintain a review panel, passed second reading after an amendment clarifying the bill targets social-media companies. The roll call was 19–4; sponsors said enforcement would be by the Attorney General and no private right of action exists.
Senators debated First Substitute Senate Bill 228, the "Electronic Free Speech Amendments," which the sponsor described as a transparency and consumer-notice measure aimed at social-media platforms. Amendment 1 (moved by Sen. McCall and adopted) narrowed definitions so the bill targets social-media companies rather than broader categories of interactive computer services.
Sponsor Senator (Bill sponsor) said the bill requires social-media companies to: provide clear end-user information about their moderation policies to users in Utah; give notice when content or accounts are removed and explain why in relation to the user agreement; offer an appeal process; and maintain an independent review panel. The sponsor said the bill does not prescribe content-moderation rules and contains no private right of action — enforcement would be by the state Attorney General and complaints could be filed with the Division of Consumer Protection.
Questions from colleagues addressed potential First Amendment implications, jurisdiction (e.g., where a Utah user posts from another state), enforceability and whether the measure would generate fiscal impacts for the state. The sponsor said the bill is focused on inconsistent application rather than defining content and that the Attorney General would be the enforcement authority; because enforcement depends on complaints and potential AG action, no fiscal note was produced.
The Senate voted to advance the amended bill; the chair announced the first substitute received 19 yea votes, 4 nay votes, and 6 absent and will be read for a third time.
