The new law requires social media platforms to delete the accounts of children under 16 if they can\u2019t offer them a version free of the addictive features, as defined. Failure to do so could result in financial civil penalties.<\/p>\n
The bill also creates an e-safety commission to advise on the implementation of the law and on online safety in the state moving forward.<\/p>\n
Lowenthal said Assembly Bill 2<\/a> is the \u201creal muscle\u201d in holding social media companies accountable to families.<\/p>\n AB 2 leverages existing negligence law, increasing the damages available when a platform is found negligent in harming a child to up to $1 million or three times actual damages, whichever is greater. The bill is intended to give families more leverage to go after social media companies and to incentivize the companies to play by the rules or risk significant financial costs.<\/p>\n Assemblyman Josh Lowenthal is seen at a bill-signing ceremony Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Marin County, Calif. Lowenthal\u2019s bills that prohibit so-called addictive features on social media platforms used by children and that raise civil penalties for social media platforms were signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom. (Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Lowenthal\u2019s office)<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not a big tobacco moment,\u201d Lowenthal said. \u201cWe are not trying to put these entities out of business.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019re not even necessarily trying to keep kids off social media. Lowenthal mentioned the importance of protecting access to online communities for kids, particularly marginalized youth.<\/p>\n But he said kids spend an average of five hours a day on social media, and he said that called for new safety standards in light of youth mental health concerns<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd we feel like we really truly found that secret spot,\u201d Lowenthal said. \u201cInstead of putting the onus on children and families, we’re putting the onus on the platforms themselves. They should not and cannot offer harmful and addictive features until children have the developmental ability to handle that. And we’ve determined that to be the age of 16. And we provide a pathway for them to be good actors by removing those features for young people. And as long as they do so, then children can continue to be in that ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n Common Sense Media Founder and CEO Jim Steyer, who leads an organization working to protect children and teens online, applauded the bills\u2019 signing. Common Sense Media sponsored both bills.<\/p>\n \u201cCalifornia just drew the line the industry spent a decade pretending didn\u2019t exist,\u201d Steyer said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cPlatforms will no longer be able to target kids under 16 with features that have been engineered to siphon their attention. That is a major victory for kids, and California won it first. Every legislator in every statehouse should be putting this bill into motion. We thank Governor Newsom for signing it and the Legislature for passing it without a single no vote.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Assemblyman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/43e61839-a56a-453c-9de5-6b5379140b24-lowenthal.jpg\")
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