SB 2617 Summary

• Creates the "Stop Social Media Censorship Act" to authorize private lawsuits against social media websites with over 75 million subscribers for censoring or using algorithms to disfavor users' political or religious speech.

• Establishes minimum statutory damages of $75,000 per purposeful deletion or censoring of speech, plus actual damages, punitive damages if aggravating factors exist, and attorney fees for prevailing parties.

• Prohibits social media websites from using alleged "hate speech" as a defense and allows damages mitigation only if the website restores deleted content within a reasonable timeframe.

• Exempts content that calls for violence, harms minors, is obscene, results from operational error or court order, involves false impersonation, entices criminal conduct, or involves minors bullying minors.

• Grants the Mississippi Attorney General authority to bring civil actions on behalf of state residents whose religious or political speech has been censored; applies only to users age 18 and older; effective July 1, 2021.