Colorado Passes Law Requiring Social Media Platforms to Comply with Search Warrants

New legislation sets 72-hour deadline for tech companies to respond to law enforcement warrants

Mar. 30, 2026 at 11:04pm

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A dimly lit, cinematic painting of a lone smartphone on a wooden table, bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conveying a sense of isolation and the weight of digital privacy and security issues.As Colorado cracks down on social media companies' response times to law enforcement warrants, the new law highlights the growing tension between digital privacy, public safety, and the power of tech platforms.Castle Rock Today

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed a new law that requires large social media platforms to comply with search warrants from state law enforcement within 72 hours. The bipartisan legislation, known as Senate Bill 11, aims to ensure that tech companies respond promptly to warrants and do not hinder criminal investigations.

Why it matters

The new law addresses concerns that social media companies have previously been able to delay or obstruct law enforcement investigations by dragging their feet on complying with warrants. Supporters argue this has allowed criminals to evade justice and continue harming the public. The measure is seen as an important step in holding tech platforms accountable and ensuring timely cooperation with the justice system.

The details

Senate Bill 11 mandates that large social media platforms create streamlined processes for law enforcement to file search warrants and requires the companies to comply with those warrants within 72 hours. The law was introduced in response to cases where social media firms delayed providing information, even with a valid warrant, which supporters say has undermined criminal investigations. The legislation was sponsored by a bipartisan group of state lawmakers.

  • Governor Jared Polis signed the new law on March 30, 2026.
  • The law was introduced as a revised version of a more sweeping social media regulation bill that Polis had vetoed the previous year.

The players

Gov. Jared Polis

The governor of Colorado who signed the new law requiring social media companies to comply with search warrants.

Rep. Andy Boesenecker

A Democratic state representative and sponsor of the bill, who argued that social media companies should not have the 'privilege' of delaying warrant compliance that no other entity in society enjoys.

Kimberly Osterman

A supporter of the bill who held a portrait of her 18-year-old son Max, who died after buying a fentanyl-laced pill through Snapchat. Osterman said the company's delays in responding to a warrant undermined the investigation into her son's death.

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What they’re saying

“'I don't know of another instance where somebody could knock on your door, give you a warrant, and you could say, 'I'll get to it when I get to it.' That privilege does not exist for anybody else in our society. I think, for me, what this bill says is that social media companies have the same sense of obligation that we all should have to respond in a timely fashion, and not hinder investigations.'”

— Rep. Andy Boesenecker, State Representative

“'Had this bill been in place when they were doing my son's investigation, perhaps the dealer would not have killed how many people after my son. The information would have been provided, and (the dealer) would have been doing time for my son's death.'”

— Kimberly Osterman

What’s next

A separate measure, House Bill 1255, is also working its way through the Colorado legislature. That bill would require social media companies to comply with warrants within 3 days and flag threats posted on their platforms to local law enforcement.

The takeaway

This new law in Colorado represents an effort by state lawmakers to hold social media companies accountable and ensure they cooperate in a timely manner with law enforcement investigations. The measure aims to prevent tech firms from obstructing justice and allowing criminal activity to continue unabated.