The laws will penalize large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent of harming children through their platforms. It also bans autoplay scrolling for users under 16 and algorithmic feeds based on user history. For AI chatbots, tech companies must enact crisis protocols to notify parents if young users show signs of emotional distress.
Newsom joined his wife and state lawmakers at a children's museum near San Francisco to stress the importance of protecting kids at a time when they have such easy access to social media and AI chatbots.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, arrive at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026, in Sausalito, Calif. AP Photo | Jeff Chiu___
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Two years ago, New York state approved a law allowing parents to block their children from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm, a move to limit feeds that critics argue are addictive. The policy is scheduled to go into effect early next year.
"It's really a huge day," parent Juliana Arnold said. "California just signed the most comprehensive online package in the country, I believe."
"I think people are realizing they can't always trust what these people are saying," Arnold said.
Meta raised concerns about some of the bills, saying the law to restrict addictive feeds hinders the company's ability to bring enjoyable content to users on its platforms.
Newsom has walked a fine line on technology policy during his nearly eight years serving as governor in the nation's most populous state, whose status as a global tech hub he has repeatedly touted in speeches.
Newsom also signed a law in 2024 to restrict student use of smartphones in schools.
"Adam was an early adopter of AI, and so many of us parents did not understand the dangers back then," Raine said at a news conference. "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."
Newsom also signed laws Wednesday, which are supported by Anthropic, that are aimed at improving oversight of AI companies. One of the measures requires the state to create rules for independent organizations to evaluate the safety risks of AI models, and the other requires the state to create a registry of AI auditors, who'd have to be financially independent from the businesses they are auditing.
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