(a) (1) A person may seek an order requiring a social media platform to remove content that includes an offer to transport, import into this state, sell, furnish, administer, or give away a controlled substance in violation of § 11352 of the Health and Safety Code.

(2) (A) If the social media platform has a reporting mechanism described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 22945, a person shall not bring an action pursuant to paragraph (1) until the person has notified the social media platform of the content and requested that it be removed through the reporting mechanism.

Terms Used In California Business and Professions Code 22945.5

  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • State: means the State of California, unless applied to the different parts of the United States. See California Business and Professions Code 21
  • Subdivision: means a subdivision of the section in which that term occurs, unless some other section is expressly mentioned. See California Business and Professions Code 15

(B) A person may bring an action pursuant to paragraph (1) before 48 hours have passed since providing notice to a social media platform through the reporting mechanism, but the court shall not rule on the request for an order until 48 hours have passed from the provision of notice.

(C) The court may dismiss an action if the social media platform deletes the content relevant to the order sought pursuant to paragraph (1) before 48 hours have passed from the provision of notice under subparagraph (A).

(3) If the social media platform does not have a reporting mechanism described in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 22945, a person may bring an action under paragraph (1), and a court may rule on the request for an order, at any time.

(b) (1) A court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees to a prevailing plaintiff in an action brought pursuant to this section.

(2) Reasonable attorney’s fees may be awarded to a prevailing defendant upon a finding by the court that the plaintiff’s prosecution of the action was not in good faith.

(Added by Stats. 2023, Ch. 698, Sec. 1. (SB 60) Effective January 1, 2024. Repealed as of January 1, 2028, pursuant to Section 22945.9.)