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ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5708 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Frame, Wagoner, Alvarado, Hasegawa, Nobles, Salomon, Trudeau, and Valdez;
Z-0346.1 SENATE BILL 5708 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senators Frame, Wagoner, Alvarado, Hasegawa, Nobles, Salomon, Trudeau, and Valdez;
by request of Attorney General) READ FIRST TIME 02/28/25.
by request of Attorney General Read first time 02/07/25.
Referred to Committee on Business, Financial Services & Trade.
adding a new chapter to Title 19 RCW;
and adding a new chapter to Title 19 RCW.
and creating a new section.
1 ESSB 5708 device, or device communications or signals concerning whether the user is a minor;
1 SB 5708 device, or device communications or signals concerning whether the user is a minor;
(3) "Media" means text, audio, an image, or a video.
(3) "Dark pattern" means a user interface designed or manipulated with the substantial effect of subverting or impairing user autonomy, decision making, or choice.
(4) "Minor," unless otherwise specified, means an individual under 18 years of age who is located in Washington state.
(4) "Likely to be accessed by minors" means it is reasonable to expect, based on the following indicators, that the online service, product, or feature would be accessed by minors:
(5) "Operator" means a person who operates or provides an internet website, an online service, an online application, or a mobile application.
(6) "Parent" means a parent or guardian.
2 ESSB 5708 NEW SECTION.
2 SB 5708 (a) The online service, product, or feature is directed to children as defined by the children's online privacy protection act (15 U.S.C.
6501 et seq.);
(b) The online service, product, or feature is determined, based on competent and reliable evidence regarding audience composition, to be routinely accessed by a significant number of minors;
(c) An online service, product, or feature that displays, provides, contains, or sells advertisements marketed to minors;
(d) An online service, product, or feature that is substantially similar or the same as an online service, product, or feature subject to (b) of this subsection;
(e) An online service, product, or feature that has design elements that are known to be of interest to minors including, but not limited to, games, cartoons, music, and celebrities who appeal to minors;
(f) A significant amount of the audience of the online service, product, or feature is determined, based on internal company research, to be minors.
(5) "Media" means text, audio, an image, or a video.
(6) "Minor," unless otherwise specified, means an individual under 18 years of age who is located in Washington state.
(7) "Online service, product, or feature" does not mean any of the following:
(a) A broadband internet access service, as defined in RCW 19.385.020;
(b) A telecommunications service, as defined in 47 U.S.C.
Sec.
153;
(c) The delivery or use of a physical product.
(8) "Operator" means a person who operates or provides an internet website, an online service, an online application, or a mobile application.
(9) "Parent" means a parent or guardian.
(10)(a) "Personal information" means information that identifies or is reasonably capable of being associated or linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular individual or individual's household.
"Personal information" includes, but is not limited to, data associated with a persistent unique identifier, such as a cookie ID, an IP address, a device identifier, or any other form of persistent unique identifier.
p.
3 SB 5708 (b) "Personal information" does not include publicly available information.
(11) "Precise location information" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 19.373.010.
(12) "Profiling" means any form of automated processing of personal information that uses personal information to evaluate certain aspects relating to an individual, including analyzing or predicting aspects concerning an individual's performance at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location, or movements.
NEW SECTION.
Sec.
(1) An operator of an addictive internet- based service or application shall estimate the age of minor users with a reasonable level of certainty appropriate to the risks that arise from the data management practices of the operator.
(1) A business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors shall estimate the age of minor users with a reasonable level of certainty appropriate to the risks that arise from the data management practices of the business or apply the privacy and data protections afforded to minors, including as required under this chapter, to all consumers or users of the online, service, product, or feature.
(2) An operator of an addictive internet-based service or application shall not use any personal information collected to estimate age or age range for any other purpose or retain that personal information, other than the estimated age or age range, longer than necessary to estimate age.
(2) A business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors shall not use any personal information collected to estimate age or age range for any other purpose or retain that personal information longer than necessary to estimate age.
Age assurance shall be proportionate to the risks and data practice of a service or application.
Age assurance shall be proportionate to the risks and data practice of an online service, product, or feature.
(1) It shall be unlawful for the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application to provide an addictive feed to a user unless:
A business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors shall not collect, sell, share, or retain personal information from minors under the age of 13, except for purposes of compliance with the age assurance provisions of section 2 of this act.
(a) Prior to January 1, 2026, the operator does not have actual knowledge that the user is a minor;
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or (b) Commencing January 1, 2026, the operator has reasonably determined that the user is not a minor.
(2) Nothing in this chapter shall prohibit an operator of an addictive internet-based service or application from filtering or removing media for minor users, consistent with the operator's policies, procedures, or terms of service.
(1) Prior to January 1, 2026, it shall be unlawful for an operator of an addictive internet-based service or application, between the hours of 12:00 a.m.
(1) A business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors shall take all of the following actions:
and 6:00 a.m., in the user's local time zone, and between the hours of 8:00 a.m.
(a) Configure all default privacy settings provided to minors by the online service, product, or feature to settings that offer a high level of privacy, unless the business can demonstrate a compelling reason that a different setting is in the best interests of minors;
and 3:00 p.m., from Monday through Friday from September through May in the user's local time zone, to send push notifications to a user if the operator has actual knowledge that the user is a minor unless the operator has obtained verifiable parental consent to send those push notifications.
(b) Provide any privacy information, terms of service, policies, and community standards concisely, prominently, and using clear p.
(2) Commencing January 1, 2026, it shall be unlawful for an operator of an addictive internet-based service or application, between the hours of 12:00 a.m.
4 SB 5708 language suited to the age of minors likely to access that online service, product, or feature;
and 6:00 a.m., in the user's local time zone, and between the hours of 8:00 a.m.
(c) If the online service, product, or feature allows the minor's parent, guardian, or any other individual or entity to monitor the minor's online activity or track the minor's location, provide an obvious signal to the minor when the minor is being monitored or tracked;
and 3:00 p.m., from Monday through Friday from September through May in the user's local time zone, to send push notifications to a user whom the operator has p.
(d) Enforce published terms, policies, and community standards established by the business including, but not limited to, privacy policies and those concerning minors;
3 ESSB 5708 not reasonably determined is not a minor unless the operator has obtained verifiable parental consent to send those notifications.
(e) Provide prominent, accessible, and responsive tools to help minors, or if applicable their parents or guardians, exercise their privacy rights and report concerns.
(3) Nothing in this section shall restrict the ability of an operator of an addictive internet-based service or application to send notifications to a user regarding software updates, security alerts, or other information regarding the integrity or maintenance of the user's account.
(2) A business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors shall not take any of the following actions:
(a) Use the personal information of any minor in a way that the business knows, or has reason to know, is materially detrimental to the physical health, mental health, or well-being of a minor;
(b) Profile a minor by default unless both of the following criteria are met:
(i) The business can demonstrate it has appropriate safeguards in place to protect minors;
and (ii) One of the following is true:
(A) Profiling is necessary to provide the online service, product, or feature requested and only with respect to the aspects of the online service, product, or feature with which the minor is actively and knowingly engaged;
(B) The business can demonstrate a compelling reason that profiling is in the best interests of minors;
(c) Collect, sell, share, or retain any personal information that is not necessary to provide an online service, product, or feature with which a minor is actively and knowingly engaged;
(d) If the end user is a minor, use personal information for any reason other than a reason for which that personal information was collected, unless the business can demonstrate a compelling reason that use of the personal information is in the best interests of minors;
(e) Collect, sell, or share any precise location information of minors by default unless the collection of that precise location p.
5 SB 5708 information is strictly necessary for the business to provide the service, product, or feature requested and then only for the limited time that the collection of precise location information is necessary to provide the service, product, or feature;
(f) Collect any precise location information of a minor without providing an obvious sign to the minor for the duration of that collection that precise location information is being collected;
(g) Use dark patterns to lead or encourage minors to provide personal information beyond what is reasonably expected to provide that online service, product, or feature to forego privacy protections, or to take any action that the business knows, or has reason to know, is materially detrimental to the minor's physical health, mental health, or well-being.
The operator of an addictive internet- based service or application shall provide a mechanism through which any user, whether or not they are a minor, may choose to do any of the following:
Nothing in this chapter shall restrict the ability of a business that provides an online service, product, or feature to:
(1) Limit their access to any addictive feed from the addictive internet-based service or application to a length of time per day specified by the user;
(1) Comply with Washington state or federal law;
(2) Limit their ability to view the number of likes or other forms of feedback to pieces of media within an addictive feed;
or (2) Comply with a subpoena, warrant, court order, or other civil or criminal legal process, unless such compliance is otherwise prohibited by Washington state or federal law.
(3) Require that the default feed provided to the user when entering the internet-based service or application be one in which pieces of media are not recommended, selected, or prioritized for display based on information provided by the user, or otherwise associated with the user or the user's device, other than the user's age or status as a minor;
(4) Set their account to private mode, in a manner in which only users to whom the user is connected on the addictive internet-based service or application may view or respond to content posted by the user.
This chapter shall not be construed as requiring the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application to give a parent any additional or special access to, or control over, the data or accounts of their minor child.
It shall be unlawful for the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application to provide an addictive feed to a user unless:
(1) Prior to January 1, 2026, the operator does not have actual knowledge that the user is a minor;
or (2) Commencing January 1, 2026, the operator has reasonably determined that the user is not a minor.
Compliance with this chapter by the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application does not serve as a defense to any claim that a minor, or an individual who was a minor at the time of using the internet-based service or application, might have against the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application regarding any harm to the mental health or well-being of the minor.
(1) Prior to January 1, 2026, it shall be unlawful for a business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors, between the hours of 12:00 a.m.
and 6:00 a.m., in the user's local time zone, and between the hours of 8:00 a.m.
and 3:00 p.m., from Monday through Friday from September through May in the user's local time zone, to send notifications to a user if the business has actual knowledge that the user is a minor unless the operator has obtained verifiable parental consent to send those notifications.
4 ESSB 5708 NEW SECTION.
6 SB 5708 (2) Commencing January 1, 2026, it shall be unlawful for a business that provides an online service, product, or feature likely to be accessed by minors, between the hours of 12:00 a.m.
and 6:00 a.m., in the user's local time zone, and between the hours of 8:00 a.m.
and 3:00 p.m., from Monday through Friday from September through May in the user's local time zone, to send notifications to a user whom the business has not reasonably determined is not a minor unless the operator has obtained verifiable parental consent to send those notifications.
NEW SECTION.
The legislature finds that the practices covered by this chapter are matters vitally affecting the public interest for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.
The operator of an addictive internet- based service or application shall provide a mechanism through which any user, whether or not they are a minor, may do any of the following:
A violation of this chapter is not reasonable in relation to the development and preservation of business, and is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair method of competition for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.
(1) Limit their access to any addictive feed from the addictive internet-based service or application to a length of time per day specified by the user;
(2) Limit their ability to view the number of likes or other forms of feedback to pieces of media within an addictive feed;
(3) Require that the default feed provided to the user when entering the internet-based service or application be one in which pieces of media are not recommended, selected, or prioritized for display based on information provided by the user, or otherwise associated with the user or the user's device, other than the user's age or status as a minor;
(4) Set their account to private mode, in a manner in which only users to whom the user is connected on the addictive internet-based service or application may view or respond to content posted by the user.
It is the intent of the legislature that if any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
This chapter shall not be construed as requiring the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application to give a parent any additional or special access to, or control over, the data or accounts of their minor child.
Sections 1 through 9 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 19 RCW.
Compliance with this chapter by the operator of an addictive internet-based service or application does not serve as a defense to any claim that a minor, or an individual who was a minor at the time of using the internet-based service or application, might have against the operator of an addictive p.
7 SB 5708 internet-based service or application regarding any harm to the mental health or well-being of the minor.
If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2025, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.
The legislature finds that the practices covered by this chapter are matters vitally affecting the public interest for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.
A violation of this chapter is not reasonable in relation to the development and preservation of business, and is an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce and an unfair method of competition for the purpose of applying the consumer protection act, chapter 19.86 RCW.
NEW SECTION.
Sec.
12.
It is the intent of the legislature that if any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the chapter or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.
NEW SECTION.
Sec.
13.
Sections 1 through 12 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 19 RCW.
5 ESSB 5708
8 SB 5708
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