Hacked On Social Media? Proposed NJ Law Would Help, Supporters Say

NEW JERSEY — Anyone who has had their social media account hacked knows what a frustrating experience it can be. And the last thing they need is to be left hanging when they reach out for help, a group of lawmakers in New Jersey say.

On Thursday, the bipartisan Assembly Aging and Human Services Committee voted 5-1 to advance A-4101 for further consideration. The bill got “yes” votes from each Democratic member of the committee, with its two Republicans splitting their votes.

The proposed state law would require social media companies to create a 24-hour, toll-free telephone number for New Jersey residents who experience fraudulent activity on their accounts. A live customer service representative on the other end of the line would be required – ensuring that hacked New Jersey residents can get immediate help.

The proposed law would only apply to companies with at least five million worldwide account holders, which would cover several familiar providers, including Facebook, X and Instagram.

Companies that break the law would face fines of $10,000 for a first offense and up to $20,000 for any subsequent offense. In addition, a violation could result in cease-and-desist orders issued by the state attorney general, the assessment of punitive damages, and the awarding of treble damages and costs to the injured party.

Prior to advancing the bill, the Aging and Human Services Committee inserted language clarifying what a social media company is:

“The definition of ‘social media platform’ or ‘platform’ does not include online services, applications, or websites that consist primarily of news, sports, entertainment, or other information or content that is not user generated but is preselected by the provider and for which any chat, comments, or interactive functionality is incidental to, directly related to, or dependent on the provision of the content.”

Primary sponsors of the bill include three Democrats: Mitchelle Drulis (NJ-16), Roy Freiman (NJ-16), and Shanique Speight (NJ-29).

“For too long, social media users have been left to fend for themselves, with little to no support,” Freiman said. “With the increasing number of online scams this legislation provides a simplified way for users to report fraud.”

“A hacked account could cause significant misinformation and incredible harm,” Drulis agreed.

“There’s nothing worse than having your account hacked, trying every possible way to recover it, and it being impossible to reach someone for help,” Drulis added.

A companion bill has been introduced in the state Senate.

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