California Proposal to Tax Social Media Gathers Momentum

California lawmakers have moved forward with legislation that could see taxes applied to the largest social media platforms in the world.

A bill that would place a tax on the gross receipts that social media companies earn from digital advertisements targeting California users passed its first vote in the state legislature.

Newsweek contacted the author of the bill, Democrat Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, for more information on the legislation via email.

The proposal is one of the most ambitious state-level efforts to impose fiscal accountability on social media platforms for what lawmakers describe as their role in escalating mental health crises, especially among youth. It comes as other states, like Florida are also cracking down on social media companies, with lawsuits filed against Snapchat for "addictive" features.