California Enacts Nation's Strictest Laws Protecting Children from Social Media and AI Chatbots
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California enacts new curbs on social media for children
LOS ANGELES, Sept 10 (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Thursday new tech company restrictions barring children under 16 from exposure to behaviorally addictive features on social media platforms and banning toys containing AI companion chatbots. The two measures were
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California enacts new curbs on social media for children
Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during the Munich Security Conference Germany, Feb. 13, 2026. Liesa Johannssen | Reuters California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Thursday new tech company restrictions barring children under 16 from
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California governor signs laws aimed at protecting kids from risks of social media, AI chatbots
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of laws Thursday aimed at protecting children from the risks of technology, including social media and AI chatbots. The laws will penalize large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found
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CA governor signs 'landmark' laws on youth use of social media and AI chatbots - Engadget
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed multiple measures aimed at protecting the state's youth. These new laws include restrictions for potentially addictive social media features and limitations on how young users can interact with AI chatbots. The state is enacting restrictions on how teens
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California bans addictive social media features for children under 16 and tightens AI chatbot rules
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. What just happened? California is tightening the rules on how tech companies keep children glued to their screens. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of laws targeting addictive social media
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California's Governor to Sign Landmark Online Child Safety Bills
Sign up for the On Tech newsletter. Get our best tech reporting from the week. Get it sent to your inbox. California's governor on Thursday plans to sign into law restrictions on addictive social media technology and interactions with harmful artificial intelligence chatbots, ushering in some of
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California has banned personalised feeds for under-16s, going further than Australia or the DSA
California has banned personalised recommendation feeds and autoplay for users under 16, in a package of 13 bills signed on Thursday that also imposes crisis protocols, independent audits and annual risk assessments on companion chatbots. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the package on 10 September.
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California's new child safety laws take aim at AI, social media companies
California's new child safety laws are official, mandating tech companies build for teens. Credit: Sean Rayford / Stringer / Getty Images News via Getty Images California governor Gavin Newsom's signature is now on a slew of new tech laws, including a dozen new state bills that target social media
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Gavin Newsom signs bill that protects children's social media use
One of the bills the California governor signed includes AB 1709, which bars social media companies from using infinite scroll and autoplay features for minors users 16 California has adopted what Gavin Newsom described as "nation-leading" legislation that bans addictive social media features for
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California enacts new curbs on social media for children
LOS ANGELES -- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Thursday new tech company restrictions barring children under 16 from exposure to behaviorally addictive features on social media platforms and banning toys containing AI companion chatbots. The two measures were among 13 bills
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California Enacts New Curbs on Social Media for Children
LOS ANGELES, Sept 10 (Reuters) - California Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Thursday new tech company restrictions barring children under 16 from exposure to behaviorally addictive features on social media platforms and banning toys containing AI companion chatbots. The two measures
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California governor social media laws: California governor signs laws aimed at protecting kids from risks of social media, AI chatbots
The laws will penalize large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent of harming children through their platforms, ban tech businesses from offering addictive feeds to anyone under 16 and require operators of AI chatbots to perform risk assessments before
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Social Media Firms Could Face $1 Million Per Child Fines For Harm Under New Laws
The laws also ban tech businesses from offering addictive feeds to anyone under 16. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of laws Thursday aimed at protecting children from the risks of technology, including social media and AI chatbots. The laws will
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California Governor Signs Laws Aimed at Protecting Kids From Risks of Social Media, AI Chatbots
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of laws Thursday aimed at protecting children from the risks of technology, including social media and AI chatbots. The laws will penalize large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found
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Gavin Newsom Takes the Fight to Big Tech With New Curbs on Social Media, AI Use to Protect Kids: 'Unregul
On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) signed legislation to protect children online and while using artificial intelligence (AI). The new laws are aimed at protecting children under 16 and forbid social media companies from providing addictive features to kids in this age group. The
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California bans addictive social media features for under-16s, AI chatbot toys
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed technology laws protecting children online. These measures restrict social media features designed for compulsive use. A four-year ban on AI companion chatbots in toys was also enacted. The legislation strengthens online privacy and parental controls for
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California Governor Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills restricting addictive social media features for users under 16 and requiring independent audits for AI chatbots. Companies face up to $1 million penalties per child for negligent harm. The package includes Adam's Law, named after a teen who died following interactions with ChatGPT.
California Enacts Comprehensive Package Protecting Children from Tech Risks
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of 13 bills on September 10, establishing the nation's strictest protections for children against risks of social media and AI chatbots
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. The legislation targets addictive social media features, companion chatbots in toys, and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. Tech companies can now face penalties of up to $1 million per child if found negligent of causing harm through their platforms3
. "We want our children - and every California kid - to grow up in a world where technology supports their wellbeing, rather than exploits their vulnerabilities," Newsom said in a statement1
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Source: The Next Web
Assembly Bill 1709 Bans Behaviorally Addictive Features
Assembly Bill 1709 prohibits social media companies from exposing children under 16 to "psychologically exploitative features intended to maximize engagement that foreseeably lead to compulsive use"
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. The banned behaviorally addictive features include infinite-scroll feeds, algorithmic autoplay, and personalized algorithm-driven content feeds2
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. Additional features will be defined in future regulations. Meta raised concerns about the restrictions, arguing that personalization helps deliver age-appropriate content to teens. "We believe that delivering a tailored experience is an important part of what makes Facebook and Instagram valuable for teens as they connect with family and friends and explore their interests -- safely," Meta spokesperson Jim Cullinan stated3
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Source: NBC
Adam's Law Establishes Strict AI Chatbot Regulations
SB 1119, dubbed Adam's Law, honors 16-year-old Adam Raine who took his own life in April 2025 after months of discussions with OpenAI's ChatGPT program that, according to his parents, validated suicidal thoughts
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. OpenAI acknowledged that ChatGPT safeguards became "less reliable" as user interactions grew more prolonged1
. The law requires independent child safety audits and annual risk assessments before AI companies release new or substantially modified companion chatbots4
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. Default protections include usage limits, disabled notifications, and restrictions on persistent conversational memory. Companies face legal liability if they fail to implement reasonable measures against harmful outputs, including sexual content, romantic roleplay, and emotional manipulation5
. Chatbot makers must also implement mental health resources and parental notification systems if children disable safety settings4
.Companion Chatbot Toys Banned, Parental Controls Required
The legislation bans the manufacture and sale of toys incorporating companion chatbots for the next four years
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. Related measures require parental controls on chatbot programs alongside safety and risk assessments. This action follows warnings from 44 attorneys general last year who alerted AI companies they would be held accountable for harm to children, after revelations about Meta's internal chatbot guidelines permitting romantic exchanges with minors5
. Senator Steve Padilla emphasized the urgency: "We cannot make the same mistakes that were made with social media"5
.Expanded Protections Against AI-Generated Child Exploitation
Another measure expands criminal sanctions against child sexual abuse material to include any digitally altered or AI-generated content depicting persons under 18 engaged in sexual conduct
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. Additional bills offer protections against targeted advertising to children and regulate AI systems' use of data about K-12 students4
. Families will also have the option to opt out of school-issued laptops5
.Related Stories
California Joins Growing Movement Despite Privacy Concerns
California, home to Google, Meta Platforms, and Snap Inc, joins states including Utah, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Florida, and New York in curbing business strategies designed to hook teenagers on social media
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. Countries worldwide have also moved to restrict children's access to harmful content, including Australia's ban on social media for children under 161
. While the measures gained broad bipartisan support, critics including the Electronic Frontier Foundation called the legislation "a massive privacy and free speech nightmare," arguing it functions as a de facto ban on social media for teens2
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. The organization warned that enforcing age verification would require all users to disclose more personal information, creating additional privacy risks4
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Source: Engadget
Tech Regulation Tightens as Meta Settles $18 Billion Lawsuit
The bill signings follow Meta's agreement three weeks ago to pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and strictly limit how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram under a settlement with nearly all U.S. states
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. The deal resolved civil claims that Meta deliberately designed social media platforms to addict children. Big Tech has shown greater willingness to accept restrictions in the face of mounting legal challenges1
. Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, who helped write the penalty provisions, noted the timing: "The pace of technology is moving faster than government can put guardrails in"3
. Newsom also signed AI oversight laws on September 9 establishing frameworks for independent organizations to assess AI systems' compliance with state law and creating a registry of AI auditors5
. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan emphasized the necessity: "We have designed cribs to be safe, chairs to be safe, car seats. Yet we've allowed technology to be handed to our children and never asked or expected it to be safe"3
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Source: TechSpot
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