California bans addictive designs on social media for minors
Summary and headline written by AI from the source article. How we work
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws prohibiting social media platforms from offering features designed to be addictive to people under 16 years old, making it the first such legislation in the United States.
Newsom announced the new laws on X, stating they also strengthen protections for children’s privacy and address potentially dangerous artificial intelligence chatbots. The legislation aims to create stricter regulations for companion chatbots and limit access for minors to automatically playing content and algorithmic feeds.
These feeds use user history and profiles to determine what content is displayed. This new law joins other measures signed this week by the governor to increase technological controls within California. One of the new laws establishes a framework for independent organizations to assess artificial intelligence systems for compliance with state laws. Another creates a state registry for AI auditors and sets standards for their independence, transparency, and integrity.
Newsom’s actions are part of a larger California strategy to regulate AI and establish the state as a leader in technological advancements. California began this effort in 2024 by addressing issues like deepfakes, digital watermarks, and the impact of technology on children and workers. The state also passed laws requiring large AI companies to publicly disclose their safety protocols and protect artists’ digital likenesses from AI-generated performances.
These measures followed a collective action against Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, which accused the tech giant of designing its platforms to be addictive to minors and misleading consumers about safety. Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and make changes to Instagram and Facebook to resolve the claims.
