AB 1946: Reporting mechanism: child sexual abuse material.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law requires a social media platform to take certain actions with respect to child sexual abuse material on the social media platform, including requiring the platform to provide, in a mechanism that is reasonably accessible to users, a means for a user who is a California resident to report material to the platform that the user reasonably believes meets certain criteria, including that the reported material is child sexual abuse material and that the reporting user is depicted in the material. Existing law also requires the social media platform to collect information reasonably sufficient to enable the platform to contact, as specified, a reporting user. Existing law defines child sexual abuse material for these purposes to include obscene matter that depicts a minor personally engaging in, or personally simulating, sexual conduct.

This bill would revise the definition of child sexual abuse material to instead include an intimate visual depiction, as defined, of an identifiable individual who is a minor. The bill would additionally require the above-described mechanism to be clear and conspicuous, as defined, and would delete the requirement that the reporting user be depicted in the material. The bill would require a social media platform to, among other things, ensure review by a natural person if there is not an established or known hash match to child sexual abuse material with respect to the reported material and the reported material is not otherwise blocked. The bill would require a social media platform to restore availability or functionality of the reporting mechanism if the reporting mechanism is unavailable or nonfunctional.

Existing law makes a noncomplying social media company liable to a reporting user for actual damages and statutory damages, as specified.

This bill would instead make a social media company liable to a depicted individual, as defined, for actual and statutory damages, as provided. The bill would also impose specified civil penalties on a noncomplying company to be collected in a civil action by certain public attorneys, including the Attorney General.

Existing law establishes the Survivor Support Fund within the state treasury and makes moneys in the fund available, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for grants by the California Victim Compensation Board to community-based organizations that provide direct services to vulnerable individuals in areas with a high concentration of sex trafficking.

This bill would require any penalty collected in a civil action by the Attorney General under these provisions to be deposited into the Survivor Support Fund.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 7 · Republican 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 10, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 185, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 10, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. September 3, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 4 p.m.
4. August 26, 2026In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.
5. August 26, 2026Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 78. Noes 0. Page 6638.).
6. August 26, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 39. Noes 0.).
7. August 24, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
8. August 21, 2026Read third time and amended. Ordered to second reading.
9. August 13, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
10. August 13, 2026From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (August 13).
11. August 3, 2026In committee: Referred to APPR. suspense file.
12. July 2, 2026Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.