US EditionNew Colorado Law Ensures Social Media Companies Will Be Fined if Judicial Warrants Are Ignored
The law mandates social media companies to respond to warrants within 72 hours and maintain a 24/7 law enforcement hotline, with penalties up to $5,000 for noncompliance.
- On Monday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 011 into law, requiring major social media platforms to acknowledge judicial search warrants within eight hours and fully comply within 72 hours.
- A shift from a broader proposal vetoed last year, the new legislation mandates that platforms with at least 1 million Colorado-based users maintain a 24-hour hotline for law enforcement, closing a critical loophole.
- Kimberly Osterman, whose son Max Osterman died in 2021 after purchasing fentanyl through Snapchat, attended the signing ceremony; she said platform delays had undermined justice for her family.
- The bipartisan law, sponsored by Rep. Andy Boesenecker and Sen. Lisa Frizell, includes $5,000 penalties for non-compliance and ensures platforms face the same legal obligations as other entities.
- Lawmakers are also considering House Bill 1255, a separate measure introduced after the Evergreen High School shooting, which would impose 24-hour compliance timelines and penalties of up to $250,000.
11 Articles
11 Articles
Social media companies must respond to search warrants within 72 hours under new Colorado law
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks about a bill he signed into law that requires social media companies to respond to law enforcement search warrants within 72 hours on March 30, 2026, at the Colorado Capitol in Denver. (Lindsey Toomer/Colorado Newsline)Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bipartisan online safety bill into law Monday, creating a streamlined process for law enforcement to communicate with social media companies about search warrants…
Denver Post
Gov. Jared Polis signs law setting search warrant requirements for social media companies
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a year after vetoing sweeping social media regulations, signed a key provision from that bill into law, requiring companies to comply with state law enforcement warrants.
Summit Daily News
Western Slope lawmaker’s bill requiring social media companies to quickly respond to search warrants becomes law
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Monday signed into law a bipartisan bill aimed at forcing social media companies to swiftly respond to search warrants. Polis, during a bill signing event at the Capitol, said the measure, Senate Bill 11, will ensure there is a prompt response from social media companies when law enforcement asks for information, whether it be “helping to track down stolen bikes and cars to helping protect the lives of Coloradans fr…
Colorado Gov. Polis signs social media warrant bill after last year’s veto
Colorado law enforcement will soon have faster access to digital evidence after Gov. Jared Polis signed a pared‑down bill requiring social media companies to acknowledge and respond to search warrants on a tight timeline, a shift from a broader proposal he vetoed last year. Senate Bill 011 also require social media platforms to establish a […]
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