Colorado Senate Overrides Polis Veto on Social Media Regulation Bill

The Colorado Senate voted overwhelmingly to override Governor Jared Polis's veto of a bipartisan bill aimed at requiring social media companies to swiftly remove users who sell drugs, firearms, or exploit minors on their platforms. Proponents, including a broad coalition of child safety advocates, school districts, and the state's Attorneys General, argue the bill is necessary to protect children from online predators and traffickers. The legislation sets strict timelines for platforms to act on reports of policy violations and mandates annual reports on illegal activity and minors' use. Critics, spanning groups from the ACLU to gun rights advocates, warn the bill threatens free speech, privacy, and could lead to over-censorship, with some raising concerns about disproportionate impacts on marginalized groups using social media for community building. Governor Polis vetoed the bill citing these civil liberties concerns, but sponsors maintain it is not about censorship, but child safety. If the House also overrides the veto, it would mark Colorado's first successful legislative override in decades.