California just made it a lot harder for platforms to keep kids scrolling.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of bills that tightens rules on social media and AI companies where children are involved. AB 1709 bars users under 16 from accessing social media features built to keep them engaged, like personalized feeds and autoplaying video, unless platforms verify age first. AB 2 makes platforms financially liable for harm to a child, with penalties ranging from $5,000 to $1 million per child. SB 1179, known as Adam's Law, requires companies building companion chatbots to publish annual child safety risk assessments, submit to independent audits, and set up crisis response processes.
That puts California alongside Australia, one of the only governments to impose a blanket under-16 social media restriction so far - though Australia's ban has proven hard to enforce in practice. It's also a notable reversal for an industry that has spent years lobbying against bills like these: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly pushed Newsom last week to narrow the package, even as his company has publicly warmed to AI regulation elsewhere.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation isn't celebrating, calling AB 1709 a flawed law that trades free speech and privacy protections for the appearance of child safety - a tension these bills haven't resolved.