California has drawn a hard line around how children use social media and AI chatbots. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of laws that targets addictive platform features, chatbot safety failures, targeted advertising, and the use of student data.
The message is direct: companies that build digital systems for young users must now take responsibility for the risks those systems create. The rules reach from autoplay videos and algorithmic feeds to mental health crises involving AI companions.
California Targets the Features That Keep Children Scrolling
The new laws prohibit social media companies from letting users under age 16 access potentially “addictive features.” California defines those features to include autoplaying videos, notifications, and personalized algorithm-driven content feeds based on user history.
The laws also ban autoplay scrolling for users under 16 and restrict algorithmic feeds based on user history. That approach focuses on how platforms work, not only on the content that appears inside them. Newsom described the goal in clear terms: “This is about the features themselves. This is about actually addressing the problem, the scrolling algorithm.”
Social media companies could face penalties of up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent of harming children through their platforms. The package also includes protections against targeted advertising, adding another limit to how companies can reach young users.
Meta spokesperson Jim Cullinan defended personalized experiences for teenagers, saying, “We believe that delivering a tailored experience is an important part of what makes Facebook and Instagram valuable for teens as they connect with family and friends and explore their interests — safely.” Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion in damages.
AI Chatbots Face New Duties When Children Show Distress
California’s laws place new limits on how teens interact with chatbots from AI companies, including time limits. Chatbot makers must implement mental health resources and safety protocols for situations in which a minor discusses self-harm.
Those systems must also include crisis protocols that notify parents if a young user shows signs of emotional distress. Companies must notify parents if safety settings are turned off, creating another alert when protections around a child’s chatbot use change.
The rules reach beyond emergency responses. California will require AI companies to complete “independent child safety audits and annual risk assessments.” AI companies could face legal liability if they fail to meet the new requirements, turning safety checks into a legal obligation rather than a voluntary promise.
The package also bans toys equipped with chatbots. That restriction places conversational AI inside a wider child-safety debate, covering not only websites and applications but also products designed for children.
Maria Raine, the mother of Adam Raine, a 16-year-old who took his life in April 2025, connected her family’s experience to the need for government action. “Adam was an early adopter of AI, and so many of us parents did not understand the dangers back then. Now, we are all becoming more aware of the dangers of AI companionship and the need for our government to act to protect our children,” Raine said.
Generative AI, Student Data, and the Next Safety Test
California also expanded the definition of child sexual exploitation to include images made or digitally altered by generative AI. The change recognizes that serious harm can involve synthetic or altered images, not only traditional photographs.
Another measure regulates AI systems’ use of data about K-12 students. Together with the restrictions on targeted advertising, the rules create limits around how companies use information connected to children’s learning and online activity.
The package covers multiple parts of the technology industry, including Meta, Anthropic, and OpenAI. Its reach shows how quickly AI has moved into spaces that involve children, from chatbots and toys to school data and social platforms.
- Social media companies face penalties of up to $1 million per child for negligence that harms children.
- Users under 16 cannot access autoplay scrolling and other features California defines as addictive.
- AI chatbots must provide mental health resources and self-harm safety protocols.
- Parents must receive notifications when young users show emotional distress or safety settings are turned off.
- AI companies must complete independent child safety audits and annual risk assessments.
- Generative AI-made and digitally altered images now fall within California’s expanded definition of child sexual exploitation.
California’s package turns child safety into a direct test for the companies building the next generation of digital products. The rules will push social media platforms and AI developers to prove that their systems can protect young users, not simply attract them.
Based on
- California, Which Is Creating All the AI That’s Poisoning Children, Just Cracked Down on AI Use for Its Own Kids — futurism.com
- Newsom signs new laws to protect kids from social media and AI chatbots – CBS Los Angeles — cbsnews.com
- CA Governor Signs ‘Landmark’ Laws On Youth Use Of Social Media And AI Chatbots — engadget.com
- Newsom signs bills that aim to make social media, AI chatbots safer for young people – Los Angeles Times — latimes.com
- California enacts new curbs on social media for children | Reuters — reuters.com
