Cyberbullying Protection Act: liability.

Senator Stern's proposal to amend California's Cyberbullying Protection Act would increase the financial penalties that social media platforms face for violations, raising the per-violation liability from $10,000 to $50,000. The legislation maintains the Act's existing requirements for platforms to implement cyberbullying prevention mechanisms and reporting tools.

Under the amended law, platforms would remain subject to compensatory and punitive damages separate from penalties related to reported content. Each day a platform fails to meet the Act's requirements would constitute a distinct violation. The bill preserves courts' authority to mandate compliance through injunctive relief and award attorney's fees to prevailing plaintiffs.

The legislation specifies that these enforcement provisions supplement rather than replace other civil, criminal and administrative remedies available under existing law. It maintains alignment with federal protections under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which limits platform liability for user-generated content. The Attorney General and other authorized parties would retain their ability to bring enforcement actions against non-compliant platforms.