Overview
- Governor Gavin Newsom signed the package of digital safety laws on Friday, making California the first U.S. state to bar certain social‑media design features for users under 16.
- AB‑1709 defines 'addictive' functions as those that are 'psychologically exploitative' and names infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations and autoplay as examples covered by the ban.
- The package also requires independent audits of AI models and a state AI registry while setting civil penalties reported up to $50,000 per affected minor for willful violations and up to $25,000 for negligent ones.
- Meta already agreed in August to adopt a similar approach as part of a multistate settlement, other major platforms have not publicly committed, and legal experts expect First Amendment and other constitutional challenges.
- Practical hurdles for enforcement include reliable age verification, technical limits on offering different product designs by age, and rules exempting e‑commerce, review sites and cloud storage feeds, all of which will shape how the law affects teens' daily use.