On Tuesday, the California Assembly passed A.B. 587, legislation requiring social media companies to file quarterly reports on their content moderation policies. The bill, which already passed the California State Senate, would force online platforms to share specific details on what behavior results in temporary or permanent bans and content removal. 

As California legislators initially considered the bill last year, Chamber of Progress sent a letter to the State Senate, urging opposition to A.B. 587 over concerns that the legislation would tip off criminals, trolls, hate groups, and other bad actors on how to evade content moderators.

“Forcing social media companies to share their sensitive detailed content moderation policies and strategies is like handing a blueprint of your house to the burglars,” said Chamber of Progress CEO Adam Kovacevich. “It’s important we fight back against misinformation and hate groups online, but forcing digital platforms to expose their detailed  playbook gives child predators and international trolls the information they need to evade detection.”

As Chamber of Progress noted in its letter to the California Senate, most major online services already publish regular reports detailing content removals, demonetization, and downranking of harmful content. A.B. 587 goes further by requiring platforms to share the particular terms and methods used for rooting out hateful and incendiary content.

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Chamber of Progress (progresschamber.org) is a center-left tech industry policy coalition promoting technology’s progressive future.  We work to ensure that all Americans benefit from technological leaps, and that the tech industry operates responsibly and fairly.  

Our corporate partners do not have a vote on or veto over our positions. We do not speak for individual partner companies and remain true to our stated principles even when our partners disagree.