Social media; authorizing certain cause of action against social media companies; establishing criteria to recover certain damages; authorizing certain rebuttable presumption. Effective date.

SB 1727 allows minors under 18 or their parents to sue social media companies if a diagnosed mental health issue (like anxiety or depression) was caused by the minor’s excessive use of algorithmically curated platforms - those using engagement-driving features like autoplay, endless scrolling, or push notifications. To win, plaintiffs must prove the mental health condition resulted from the excessive use, but courts must assume causation unless the company shows it implemented safety measures. Social media companies can avoid liability by limiting minors’ daily use to 3 hours, blocking access between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., requiring parental consent, and disabling engagement features for minors. If liability is found, plaintiffs can recover $10,000 per incident or actual damages, plus attorney fees.