1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to public safety;
prohibiting certain sex offenders from accessing social
1.3 media platforms;amending
Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 243.055, by adding
1.4 a subdivision.
1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes
2024, section 243.055, is amended by adding a subdivision
1.7 to read:
1.8 Subd. 1a.Restrictions
on social media platforms. (a) The commissioner must impose
1.9 the following
conditions on a parolee, state-supervised probationer, or individual on
1.10 supervised release for a
violation of section 609.342, 609.343, 609.344, 609.345, or 609.3458,
1.11 where the individual committed
the offense against a victim under the age of 18:
1.12 (1) prohibit the
individual from using social media platforms that allow persons under
1.13 the age of 18 to be
members or interact with other users; and
1.14 (2) require the
individual to provide all their social media account details, including
1.15 usernames and passwords,
to their parole or probation agent.
1.16 (b) The commissioner
must annually prepare a list of social media platforms that satisfy
1.17 the criteria for a
social media platform as defined in paragraph (c). The commissioner must
1.18 publish the list on the
agency's public-facing website and distribute the list to all parole and
1.19 probation agents in the
state.
1.20 (c) For purposes of this
paragraph, the following terms have the meanings given:
1.21 (1) "social media
platform" means an electronic medium, including a browser-based or
1.22 application-based
interactive computer service, telephone network, or data network, that
2.1 allows users to
create, share, and view user-generated content. Social media platform does
2.2 not include Internet
search providers, email, or short-message-service; or streaming video
2.3 service or other
Internet website where the content is not user-generated but where interactive
2.4 functions enable
incidental chat, comments, or reviews. Social media platform does not
2.5 include a
communication service, including audio and video communication technology,
2.6 provided by a business
to the business's employees and clients for use in the course of
2.7 business activities
and not for public distribution; and
2.8 (2)
"user-generated content" means any content created or shared by an
account holder,
2.9 including but not
limited to written posts, photographs, graphics, video recordings, or audio
2.10 recordings.
