EFF: Victory! Dangerous Elements Removed From California’s Bot-Labeling Bill
Victory! Dangerous Elements Removed From California’s Bot-Labeling Bill Governor Jerry Brown recently signed S.B. 1001 , a new law requiring all “bots” used for purposes of influencing a commercial transaction or a vote in an election to be labeled. The bill, introduced by Senator Robert Hertzberg, originally included a provision that would have been abused as a censorship tool, and would have threatened online anonymity and resulted in the takedown of lawful human speech. EFF urged the California legislature to amend the bill and worked with Senator Hertzberg’s office to ensure that the bill’s dangerous elements were removed. We’re happy to report that the bill Governor Brown signed last week was free of the problematic language. This is a crucial victory. S.B. 1001 is the first bill of its kind, and it will likely serve as a model for other states. Here’s where we think the bill went right. First, the original bill targeted all bots, regardless of what a bot was being used f...