Substitute Senate Bill No. 1295 seeks to improve safety and mental health resources on social media platforms by requiring owners to establish an online safety center by January 1, 2026. This center must provide resources to combat cyberbullying, access mental health services, and educate users on behavioral health and reporting harmful behavior. The bill also mandates the creation of a cyberbullying policy for managing reports of aggressive behavior. Additionally, it revises existing laws regarding the protection of minors online, expanding the definition of "heightened risk of harm" to include various psychological and physical harms, and changing the standard of knowledge for online service providers from "wilfully disregards" to "knowledge fairly implied based on objective circumstances."

The bill further enhances protections for minors' personal data by prohibiting the processing of such data for targeted advertising and requiring consent for data collection, particularly regarding precise geolocation. It mandates that online service providers conduct impact assessments when profiling minors, detailing potential risks and mitigation strategies. These assessments are confidential and exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, although the Attorney General may request relevant information for investigations. Overall, sSB1295 aims to strengthen the privacy rights of minors and ensure that online services adhere to strict guidelines for data handling and user safety.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 42-529
GL Joint Favorable Substitute: 42-529, 42-529a, 42-529b, 42-529c
File No. 576: 42-529, 42-529a, 42-529b, 42-529c