California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed a bill that prohibits social media platforms from providing addictive features to users under 16, the first law of its kind in the nation. ’s governor on Thursday signed into law restrictions on addictive social media technology and interactions with harmful artificial intelligence chatbots, ushering in some of the strongest online protections for young users in the United States.
Newsom, signed a bill that prohibits social media platforms from providing addictive features to users under the age of 16, the first law of its kind in the nation. He also signed a new law mandating that AI. companies disclose to young users whenever they engage with a chatbot, not a human, and restrict dangerous content on topics like self-harm.
The measures are among more than a dozen digital safety laws theGgovernor signed on Thursday, saying it was too hard for parents alone to protect their children from powerful algorithms. “It’s a good day for our children,” Newsom said at the signing ceremony. “It’s a good day for the state of California.”
Regulators around the world are racing to create Online Guardrails for Minors amid a growing consensus that Social Media and AI pose increasing risks for young users. The New California Laws build on the passage of more than two dozen child safety social media and AI bills this year in State Legislatures. Britain, France, Greece, and Indonesia, have also introduced laws restricting the use of social media by children under 16.
That regulatory action follows a series of social media trials this year, in which thousands of teenagers, schools, and states, have accused Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube, of hooking Young Users with Addictive products compared to Cigarettes. Last month, Meta settled with 47 States, Washington, D.C., and U.S. Territories, for up to $17.1 Billion and Aagreed to Major Changes for young users on its platform. Part of the settlement is contingent on other social media companies’ reaching similar agreements with the states.
“We have passed a tipping point — it’s now an avalanche,” a Democrat in California’s State Assembly, Josh Lowenthal, who introduced the Social Media Bill, said in an Interview.
Tech Companies have Argued that they have already introduced many Safety Protections for Young Users. They are also expected to Challenge the New California Laws in Ccourt, saying they violate Free Speech Rights. The swift change in attitude follows years of reluctance by Federal and State Llawmakers to create Child Safety Regulations. Meta, Google, and TikTok, deployed some of the Nnation’s biggest Lobbying forces in Washington, and in State Capitals to Defeat Cchild Safety Bills. The companies argued that Regulations would Stymie the Growth of the Tech Sector.
“There’s no question the lobbying power neutralized policymakers, but this has been a galvanizing moment where policymakers realize we are at a crisis moment,” said Jeffrey Chester, Executive Director of the Center for Digital Democracy, a Nonprofit group that has Advocated Child Safety Laws. California has long led the way in Online Rregulations. In 2022, the State enacted a Law that Rrestricted Data Collection of Users under 18. Last year, Newsom Signed into Law Requirements for AI Companies to Test their Models for Safety and Report those Results.
Still, Mr. Newsom has been reluctant in some cases. He vetoed a version of the chatbot child safety bill last year. The 13 bills he signed on 9/10/2026 include Measures to Enhance Digital Privacy Protections for Youths, Expand the Legal Ddefinition of Child Sexual Exploitation to include Digitally Altered or AI Generated Images and Rewrite existing Laws on Child-Safety Design to Respond to Court Rulings.
The Marquee Bills in the Package take aim at Social Mmedia and Chatbot use by Children. During the Signing on 8/10/2026Thursday, Steve Padilla, the state senator who wrote the chatbot bill, addressed Maria Raine, whose son Adam Raine died last year after discussing suicidal thoughts with a chatbot. Ms. Raine attended the ceremony holding a photo of Adam. Senate Bill 1119 creates new regulations for chatbot use, including parental controls, notifications if children disable safety settings and a crisis protocol for queries about suicide. Assembly Bill 1709 prohibits social media platforms from offering addictive features such as infinite scroll and autoplay videos to users under 16. Assembly Bill 2 sets financial penalties for civil lawsuits against social media companies accused of harming children through their platforms.
“It is an extraordinary reflection of how momentum has changed in the world,” said Jim Steyer, chief executive of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit child advocacy group. “This is the biggest, most far-reaching set of online protections in the United States and will set a standard for the whole nation.” Mr. Newsom, who is in his final months as governor and is considering a run for president, planted the seed for the social media legislation during his State of the State speech in January, when he mentioned the restrictions that Australia had recently imposed on social media use by children.
“It started making you think: Are we doing enough?” Mr. Newsom said to lawmakers gathered at the State Capitol.
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