California has enacted a package of laws aimed at protecting children from the risks posed by social media and artificial intelligence, with Common Sense Media founder and chief executive Jim Steyer welcoming the measures as a major step forward.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the legislation on Thursday, including new safeguards for AI “companion” chatbots and restrictions on addictive social media features for users under 16.
The measures include Adam’s Law, which requires chatbot companies to introduce crisis procedures where a child shows signs of suicidal thoughts, provide parental controls and notify parents if safety settings are disabled. Operators must also carry out independent child-safety audits and annual risk assessments.
Another law prohibits platforms from offering under-16s features such as autoplay and algorithmically generated feeds based on a user’s history or profile. The package also strengthens protections for children’s personal information and expands laws covering digitally altered or AI-generated material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors.
Steyer said the legislation marked “a huge victory for kids and parents across California”, adding that the state was showing technology companies that “experimenting on children can no longer be the business model for technology”.
The new laws form part of California’s wider attempt to regulate the effect of emerging technology on children, as concerns grow over the influence of social media platforms and the increasingly human-like nature of AI chatbots.
