Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed SB26-011, Search Warrants Provided to Covered Platforms, requiring social media companies to acknowledge and respond to search warrants promptly. The bill is a changed version of one Polis vetoed last year, which was proposed in response to difficulties law enforcement encountered trying to obtain information from social media companies after the Evergreen shooting.
Platforms will now be required to acknowledge receipt of a search warrant within eight hours and provide status updates to law enforcement as the warrant is carried out. The bipartisan legislation was sponsored by Sens. Lisa Frizell and Dylan Roberts and Reps. Andrew Boesenecker and Jarvis Caldwell.
Last session, Polis vetoed Senate Bill 086, which established certain requirements for social media platforms to protect minor users, including a requirement that the tech companies respond to search warrants within 72 hours. The Governor said at the time that the bill threatened individual liberties.
The law should take effect 90 days after this year’s legislative session ends.