California tightened its rules on how children interact with some of the internet's most powerful products.
Under a new package of 13 child-safety tech laws, the state targeted "addictive" social media features and imposed new limits on AI chatbots used by minors.
Here's what to know
Among the bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed to protect children online, two have drawn particular attention. One addresses social media product design, and the other sets safeguards for artificial intelligence chatbots, according to CalMatters.
The social media measure is meant to address teen mental health concerns and how algorithm-driven products can keep young users engaged for long stretches. Under the law, companies need to turn off "addictive" features such as infinite scroll and autoplay for users under 16 or keep those minors off the platforms.
"Parents can't compete. Can't compete with the engineering, can't compete with the algorithms. You feel like you're a lousy parent," Newsom said at a news conference.
Another bill, named for California teen Adam Raine, who died by suicide in 2025 after getting tips from ChatGPT, restricted minors' chatbot use with time limits, built-in mental health resources, and required safety plans.
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More background
Digital rights advocates, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, had urged Newsom not to sign the social media, calling it "well-intentioned but deeply flawed," according to CalMatters.
The organization said the bill's definition of addictive features is so broad that it could function as a near-total social media ban for children under 16, potentially cutting them off from "essential information and experiences."
The chatbot bill received wider backing, including from OpenAI. The company said it "pairs strong protections with continued access to useful AI tools."
It also added to California's existing chatbot rules, including the requirement that users be told when they are interacting with AI.
What's being done?
The laws create a larger framework for online child safety. Beyond the headline bills, one measure allows social media companies to be held liable for damages when a child is harmed by their platforms.
The package also updates and expands age-checking rules and increases company responsibility for responding to child abuse content. Another bill places a four-year pause on AI-powered chatbots for children under 16.
"Raising teens at this moment, those of us that are, we know the youth mental health crisis in an everyday reality. There isn't one of us that hasn't seen it firsthand," Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, one of the bill's authors, said, per CalMatters.
Where can I learn more?
California's crackdown is part of a push by governments to use product rules to protect children and teens from risks in everyday products. These articles look at vaping and toy safety, wrestling with the same question: How far should regulators go when protecting kids bumps up against access, design, and marketing?
• Arkansas officials issued a ban on a common trend in vape marketing to young people.
• In Pennsylvania, a staggering loophole in a new law allowed vaping products to reach kids nationwide.
• European lawmakers changed the composition of children's toys with sweeping chemical-safety rules.
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