California Governor Gavin Newsom signed more than 10 new laws, including key measures to limit social media risks for children and youth. These include a law banning social media companies from allowing users under 16 to access features designed to encourage addictive usage, and a ban on toys featuring AI chatbot companions.
Newsom said at a signing ceremony near San Francisco that California’s approach differs from Australia’s law, which directly bans children under 16 from using social media. Instead, California targets the "features" and system designs that keep users on platforms longer, especially continuous content scrolling and algorithmic systems.
Under Assembly Bill 1709, features that "exploit psychological vulnerabilities" and aim to increase engagement to the point of uncontrolled use are banned for users under 16. Examples include infinite scroll feeds, autoplay videos, algorithmic content recommendations, and other features to be specified later.
The law does not prohibit children under 16 from using social media altogether but requires platforms to remove features that encourage addictive use from the experience of this user group.
This measure follows Australia’s December law restricting social media use by children under 16. However, an Australian government report in July noted uneven enforcement, with many children still able to access social media.
In addition to social media regulations, Newsom signed 13 related laws on child safety in the digital age. One bans the production and sale of toys with AI chatbots as "virtual friends" for four years. Another requires chatbot programs to have parental controls and undergo safety and risk assessments.
Another law expands criminal offenses related to child sexual abuse materials to include content digitally altered or AI-generated if it depicts persons under 18 in sexual activities.
Newsom stated these measures are among the strictest and most comprehensive in the U.S. The chatbot regulation is called "Adam’s Law," named after Adam Rain, a 16-year-old who died by suicide in April 2025 after family reports that his suicidal thoughts were reinforced through months of conversations with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
OpenAI said it plans to improve ChatGPT’s protective systems and acknowledged that some safeguards weaken during extended user conversations.
Newsom said children and youth should grow up in environments where technology promotes well-being rather than exploits their vulnerabilities.
California, home to major tech firms like Google, Meta, and Snap, joins several U.S. states increasing scrutiny of social media business practices accused of designing products to attract and addict teens, despite evidence that heavy use may harm mental health.
However, the law faces opposition. The Electronic Frontier Foundation sees it as an unnecessary restriction on youth internet access and warns it could raise privacy and free speech issues.
Utah was the first U.S. state to enact laws controlling children's social media access, followed by others like Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Florida, and New York, with varying details and approaches.
Meanwhile, many countries worldwide are considering measures to control social media’s impact on children and youth. The European Union plans to unveil its regulatory plan next week. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said society need not accept social media designs intended to addict users.
The EU is considering proposals to restrict social media use for children under 13, per expert recommendations, or ban use under age 15, a stance strongly pushed by France.
Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, previously agreed to similar measures and recently agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years, limiting teen use of Facebook and Instagram under settlements with nearly all U.S. states to end civil lawsuits alleging the company designed platforms to addict children.
/SourceReuters/ AFP