California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills aimed at protecting minors from potentially addictive social media features and unsafe AI chatbot interactions. The legislation imposes time limits and safety protocols on AI companies, requiring mental health resources, parental notifications, and independent child safety audits. Social media platforms must prevent users under 16 from accessing "addictive features" such as autoplay videos, notifications, and personalized feeds, a move critics like the Electronic Frontier Foundation say amounts to a functional ban and raises privacy concerns due to age verification requirements.

Additional measures expand the definition of child sexual exploitation to include AI-generated images, strengthen protections against targeted advertising, and regulate AI systems using data on K‑12 students. While intended to safeguard youth, the rules face opposition for their broad scope and potential unintended consequences.