Key Points
- California to fine social media firms up to $1 million per child for negligence
- Meta reached $18 billion settlement with 29 US states over child safety allegations
- New laws ban addictive feeds for users under 16 and mandate AI chatbot risk assessments
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws on Thursday (10 September) aimed at protecting children from risks posed by social media platforms and artificial intelligence chatbots, marking one of the most comprehensive state-level interventions in technology regulation in the United States.
The new legislation will penalise large social media companies up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent in harming children through their platforms. The laws also ban technology businesses from offering addictive feeds, meaning algorithmic content recommendations designed to maximise engagement, to anyone under 16 years of age.
Operators of AI chatbots will be required to perform risk assessments before deploying their products. Newsom joined his wife and state lawmakers at a children’s museum near San Francisco to announce the signing.
“It’s a good day for our children,” he said. “It’s a good day for the state of California.”
Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, who was present at the signing, drew a comparison between technology products and physical safety standards.
“We have designed cribs to be safe, chairs to be safe, car seats,” she said. “Yet we’ve allowed technology to be handed to our children and never asked or expected it to be safe.”
By the numbers
Key figures from this story- $1 million
- maximum fine per child for negligent platforms
- $18 billion
- Meta settlement with 29 US states
- 16 years
- age below which addictive feeds are banned
Meta settlement
The bill signings come weeks after Meta Platforms reached a settlement with California and 28 other states following a 2023 lawsuit that alleged the technology company deliberately designed features to addict children. Under the settlement terms, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and strengthen its child safety measures.
Meta raised concerns about certain provisions in the new legislation. The company said the law restricting addictive feeds would hinder its ability to deliver content that users find valuable.
“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,” Jim Cullinan, Meta spokesperson, said in a statement.
“Personalisation is also how we deliver age-appropriate content for teens that is relevant to them, all with the proper guardrails in place,” Cullinan added.
Newsom’s record
The governor has navigated a careful path on technology policy during his nearly eight years in office, balancing his promotion of California as a global technology hub with regulatory action. He signed a law last year requiring platforms to remind users they are interacting with a chatbot and not a human.
However, hours later, he vetoed a bill that would have banned companies from making AI chatbots available to anyone under 18 years old unless the businesses could ensure the technology could not engage in sexual conversations or encourage self-harm.
Newsom also signed a law in 2024 restricting student use of smartphones in schools.
Assembly member Josh Lowenthal, a Democrat who helped draft the law imposing penalties on companies for harming children, said the timing of the legislation was critical.
“The pace of technology is moving faster than government can put guardrails in,” he said.
Newsom also signed laws on Wednesday (9 September) aimed at improving oversight of AI companies. These bills, which are supported by Anthropic, require the state to create rules for independent organisations to evaluate the safety risks of AI models. The legislation also establishes a registry of AI auditors who must be financially independent from the businesses they audit.
Your Questions, Answered
What penalties do California's new child safety laws impose on social media companies?
Large social media companies can be fined up to $1 million per child if they are found negligent in harming children through their platforms.
What age restrictions do California's new laws place on addictive feeds?
The laws ban technology businesses from offering addictive feeds, meaning algorithmic content recommendations designed to maximise engagement, to anyone under 16 years of age.
What do California's new laws require from AI chatbot operators?
Operators of AI chatbots must perform risk assessments before rolling out their products. Additional laws require the state to create rules for independent organisations to evaluate AI model safety risks.
How much did Meta agree to pay in its settlement with US states?
Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion and strengthen its child safety measures following a 2023 lawsuit by California and 28 other states alleging the company deliberately designed features to addict children.
