Bill Text: CA SB1001 | 2017-2018 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Bots: disclosure.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Passed) 2018-09-28 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 892, Statutes of 2018. [SB1001 Detail]

Download: California-2017-SB1001-Amended.html

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Amended  IN  Assembly  June 21, 2018

Amended  IN  Senate  May 25, 2018

Amended  IN  Senate  April 26, 2018

Amended  IN  Senate  March 14, 2018

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2017–2018 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill

No. 1001

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Introduced by Senator Hertzberg

February 05, 2018

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An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 17940) to Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to bots.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 1001, as amended, Hertzberg. Bots: disclosure.

Existing law regulates various businesses to, among other things, preserve and regulate competition, prohibit unfair trade practices, and regulate advertising.

This bill would would, with certain exceptions, make it unlawful for any person to use a bot, as defined, to communicate or interact with natural persons another person in California online with the intention of misleading and would provide that a person using a bot is presumed to not act with the intent to mislead if the person discloses that the bot is not a natural person. The bill would require an online platform to enable users to report violations of this prohibition, and would require the online platform to respond to the reports and, upon request, provide the Attorney General with specified related information. intent to mislead the other person about its artificial identity for the purpose of knowingly deceiving the person about the content of the communication in order to incentivize a purchase or sale of goods or services in a commercial transaction or to influence a vote in an election.

Digest Key

Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: YES   Local Program: NO  

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Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

 Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 17940) is added to Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code, to read:

CHAPTER  6. Bots

17940.

 For purposes of this chapter:

(a) “Bot” means an online account that is automated online account on an online platform that is designed to mimic or behave like the account of a natural person.

(b) “Online” means appearing on any public-facing Internet Web site, Web application, or digital application, including a social network or publication.

(c) “Online platform” means any public-facing Internet Web site, Web application, or digital application, including a social network or publication.

(d) “Person” means a natural person, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, association, estate, trust, government, governmental subdivision or agency, or other legal entity or any combination thereof.

17941.

 (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to use a bot to communicate or interact with natural persons another person in California online, with the intention of misleading a natural person about its artificial identity. A person using a bot is presumed to not act with the intent to mislead if the person discloses that the bot is not a natural person. intent to mislead the other person about its artificial identity for the purpose of knowingly deceiving the person about the content of the communication in order to incentivize a purchase or sale of goods or services in a commercial transaction or to influence a vote in an election. A person using a bot shall not be liable under this section if the person discloses that it is a bot.

(b)The disclosure required by this chapter shall be clear and conspicuous to all natural persons with whom the bot communicates or interacts.

(c)A statement shall be considered a disclosure that a bot is not a person if it includes language stating the bot “is a bot” or is “auto-generated.”

(b) The disclosure required by this section shall be clear, conspicuous, and reasonably designed to inform persons with whom the bot communicates or interacts that it is a bot.

17942.

(a)An online platform shall enable users to identify and report bots that the user suspects of violating Section 17941.

(b)(1)After receiving notice of a bot pursuant to subdivision (a), an online platform shall expeditiously investigate and determine whether or not to disclose that the bot is not a natural person or remove the bot.

(2)An online platform’s investigation and response shall be expeditious if it occurs within 72 hours of receipt of the notice.

(c)Upon request of the Attorney General, an online platform shall provide reports detailing notices received pursuant to subdivision (b) and actions taken in response.

17943.

(a)(1)For text and graphic communications, a statement shall be considered to be made in a clear and conspicuous manner if it is made in larger type than the surrounding text, is in a contrasting type, font, or color to the surrounding text of the same size, or is set off from the surrounding text of the same size by symbols or other marks in a manner that clearly calls attention to the language.

(2)For audio communications, a statement shall be considered to be made in a clear and conspicuous manner if it is spoken in a clearly audible and intelligible manner at the beginning of the communication.

(3)For video communications, a statement shall be considered to be made in a clear and conspicuous manner if it is in a written format that meets the requirements of paragraph (1) and appears for at least four seconds and in an audible format that meets the requirements of paragraph (2).

(4)For any other communications, a statement shall be considered to be made in a clear and conspicuous manner if it is made in a manner that is at least as clear and conspicuous as described in paragraphs (1) to (3), inclusive.

(b)A statement is not made in a clear and conspicuous manner if it is difficult to read or hear or if the placement is easily overlooked.

17944. 17942.

 (a) The duties and obligations imposed by this chapter are cumulative with any other duties or obligation imposed by any other law.

(b) The provisions of this chapter are severable. If any provision of this chapter or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

(c)The duties and obligations imposed by this chapter shall not apply to bots to the extent they are communicating on behalf of a corporation, limited partnership, limited liability company, or other form of business entity, with users or customers of that business, and the user or customer has specifically opted in to such communications after clear and conspicuous disclosure about their automated nature.

(d)

(c) This section chapter does not impose a duty on service providers of online platforms, including, but not limited to, Web hosting and Internet service providers.