California has adopted what Gavin Newsom described as “nation-leading” legislation that bans addictive social media features for young users, regulates companion chatbots and implements new safeguards around AI.
The laws, signed by the Democratic California governor on Thursday, include AB 1709, which bars social media companies from using infinite scroll and autoplay for users under 16.
“This is about actually addressing the problem, the scrolling, the algorithms. This is about addressing the substantive issue around the engineering,” Newsom said at a news conference in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. “And that’s what makes this truly a significant and consequential bill.”
The development comes as states across the US seek to regulate AI companies and increase guardrails to protect young users from the risk of harm from social media platforms.
Similar action is being taken around the globe. Australia became the first country to ban social media for children under 16 last year. The country also recently moved to allow social media users to opt out of algorithm-driven content.
Since Australia’s landmark ban, more than 40 countries are considering or have implemented similar policies.
Under California’s new package of laws, social media companies found to have harmed children with their platforms could face fines up to $1m per child. The laws also allow families to opt out of receiving school-issued laptops, and requires AI chatbot operators to conduct risk assessments before introducing them.
The state now has the “strongest companion chatbot regulations” in the US, according to the governor’s office, and requires parental controls and crisis protocols. The chatbot bill is named for Adam Raine, who died by suicide last year – his mother has said he was “coached” by a chatbot.
“Adam was an early adopter of AI, and so many of us parents did not understand the dangers back then,” Maria Raine said during Thursday’s news conference. “Now, we are all becoming more aware of the dangers of AI companionship and the need for our government to act to protect our children.”
The new regulations also update child sexual exploitation laws to include “digitally altered and AI-generated” sexual imagery of minors.
The package of new legislation is not without critics. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF), a non-profit focused on digital privacy and free speech, argues that AB 1709 is a “functional ban on social media use” for users under 16.
“California should be passing laws to ensure that technology really works for people of all ages, not enacting social media bans that cut young people off from digital lifelines, communities and speech,” Rindala Alajaji, the EFF associate director of state affairs, said in a statement.
“Denying minors access to digital forums – or stripping out basic tools needed to navigate them – is not going to help make young people safer or healthier in the AI age.”
Earlier this week, Newsom signed Anthropic-backed laws regulating AI by requiring the state to create a framework for independent organizations to assess AI models’ safety risks, and a registry of AI auditors.
The new regulations come weeks after Meta agreed to a settlement with California and 28 other states that accused the company of harming children with its products. The tech giant agreed pay up to $18bn and establish safeguards for teen users, such as daily usage limits and blocks on night-time use.
The Associated Press contributed reporting