A bill sponsored by state Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) aims to hold social media companies accountable for disinformation.
The legislation adds a section to the state’s penal code, adding a new cause of action for public nuisance allowing the state Attorney General, city corporation counsels or private citizens to bring lawsuits after companies or individuals for “knowingly or recklessly” contributing to things like promoting self-harm or vaccine disinformation.
Check It Out: Proposed Bill Would Make Social Media Companies Responsible for Disinformation
Who is going to define what is and is not disinformation? This doesn’t strike me as a step forward, just a matter of shifting blame and obfuscating. Par for the course, I guess.