California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of digital safety laws on September 11, 2026, including a first-in-the-nation ban on addictive social media feeds for users under 16 and mandatory chatbot disclosure rules for artificial intelligence companies operating in the state.
California has once again positioned itself at the vanguard of state-level tech regulation. Governor Newsom approved a legislative slate encompassing more than a dozen digital safety measures, targeting everything from algorithmic loops designed to captivate minors to the proliferation of nonconsensual synthetic imagery. Tech companies, who claim they had already introduced safety measures for young users, are expected to oppose the new California laws in court by citing violations of speech rights. Age Limits on Addictive Feeds and AI Chatbots
Governor Gavin Newsom Signed Age Limits on Addictive Feeds and AI Chatbots
At the center of the legislative package is a bill that bans social media platforms from providing addictive features to users under the age of 16. Newsom also signed a new law requiring artificial intelligence (AI) companies to inform young users that they are interacting with a chatbot rather than a human and restrict harmful content. Alongside the social media constraints, the new laws require artificial intelligence developers to implement clear warning mechanisms when young users interact with automated systems.
California will not stand by while unregulated technology puts our children at risk,
he said in a statement. Innovation comes with responsibility, and protecting our children comes first.
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, who authored the social media legislation, captured the legislative momentum during an interview following the bill signings, stating that they had passed a “tipping point” and that:
it’s now an avalanche.
The more than a dozen bills that Newsom signed include new legislation to keep kids safe online AB 1709 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) covering platforms, age restriction, and e-Safety Advisory Commission provisions; SB 1119 by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), Assemblymembers Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) and Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) covering companion chatbots and children’s safety; AB 2 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach) addressing injuries to children and civil penalties; AB 1856 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) concerning age verification signals in software applications; AB 1946 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) establishing a reporting mechanism for child sexual abuse material; AB 2246 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) regulating access by children to an online service, product, or feature; AB 1159 by Assemblymember Dawn Addis (D-Morro Bay) regarding student personal information; AB 2071 by Assemblymember Josh Hoover (R–Folsom) concerning pupil instruction and digital wellness; AB 302 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) targeting pupil and parental communication, extracurricular activities, and addictive feeds; SB 1276 by Senator Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) addressing crimes regarding the sexual exploitation of a child; SB 1128 by Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles) focusing on pupils, technology-based materials, and school-issued electronic devices; AB 2298 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) concerning pupil instruction in computer science content standards; and SB 867 by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego) addressing toys and companion chatbots. Under Governor Newsom’s leadership and in partnership with the Legislature, California has enacted nation-leading requirements for responsible AI and social media use for children, including warning labels for young users, required age verification signals, guidance to protect kids from after-school cyberbullying, and prohibiting online platforms from knowingly providing an addictive feed to a minor without parental consent. In 2022, Governor Newsom also signed legislation requiring companies to publicly post their policies regarding hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism on their platforms and report data on their enforcement of those policies. First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom also recently launched a Teen Tech Council to ensure young people’s voices help shape state policy and to support digital wellness initiatives across the state. Expanding Protections Against Digital Exploitation
Expanding Protections Against Digital Exploitation
Beyond youth-focused usage caps, the legislative package addresses severe forms of digital harassment and identity theft. The more than a dozen bills that Newsom signed include measures to strengthen digital privacy protections for young people, broaden the legal definition of child sexual exploitation to cover digitally altered or AI-generated images, and revise existing child-safety design laws in response to court rulings.
Platforms must now establish streamlined reporting and removal mechanisms for sexually explicit digital identity theft. Furthermore, California strengthened civil penalties surrounding deepfake pornography by expanding the cause of action to allow victims, including minors, to seek civil relief of up to $250,000 per action against third parties who knowingly facilitate or aid in the distribution of nonconsensual sexually explicit material.
These statutes build on a multi-year regulatory trajectory in California. In 2023, Governor Newsom issued a first-of-its-kind executive order directing the state to safely use AI for the benefit of Californians; identify potential risks to individuals, communities, state government, and state workers; and implement guardrails to ensure the government’s use of AI protects Californians’ rights and safety. In 2024, the Governor signed a nation-leading comprehensive package of AI legislation addressing issues including deepfakes, AI watermarking, children and workers, while the administration also convened leading AI academics and experts to develop a science-based framework for understanding the capabilities and risks of frontier models. In 2025, Governor Newsom signed the nation’s first AI safety law — SB 53, California’s Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act — which requires frontier AI developers to publicly disclose their safety frameworks, report certain critical safety incidents to the state and protects whistleblowers who report serious risks, alongside strengthened automated decision-making technology privacy regulations. Governor Newsom also signed SB 813 (McNerney) establishing a first-in-the-nation framework for independent verification organizations that can assess AI systems and models for compliance with state law, and AB 1405 (Bauer-Kahan), creating a state registry for AI auditors and establishing standards for their independence, transparency, and integrity.
Legal Resistance and Industry Pushback
Legal Resistance and Industry Pushback to California Digital Safety Laws
Industry representatives argue that major platforms have already introduced safety measures for young users.
Tech Companies Expect to Oppose New California Laws in Court
Legal challenges are widely anticipated. Tech companies, who claim they had already introduced safety measures for young users, are expected to oppose the new California laws in court by citing violations of speech rights.
