California Enacts New Social Media Restrictions for Children Under 16
Synopsis
California has enacted 13 new laws covering children's use of social media and AI, including restrictions on addictive platform features and new safeguards for chatbot services used by minors.
California social media laws for children have developed since Governor Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills on September 10 tackling risks associated with social media, AI chatbots and other digital services.
The package also includes age restrictions for use of addictive features, new rules for AI chatbot services, and stricter child sexual abuse protections.
California Targets Addictive Social Media Features
California social media laws for children also include AB 1709, a restriction of social media platforms from adding features like infinite scrolling and autoplay for users under 16 years old.
Some of the measures are also SB 1119 (Adam's Law). It requires AI chatbot services for kids to implement child protection measures such as parental controls, safety testing and self-harm protection.
For four years, a new law has been in the process of being enacted, banning the sale of toys featuring AI chatbots. The package also expands the criminal definition of sexual material created by AI with children.
AI Chatbots Face New Child Safety Requirements
In an era in which teens are finding more and more to turn to social media and artificial intelligence, the California social media laws for children are implemented.
According to the Pew Research Center's report, Teens, Social Media and AI Chatbots 2025, 64% of U.S. teenagers are using AI chatbots, with approximately 30% using them on a daily basis.
The report, How Teens Use and View AI, released in February of this year, revealed that 54% of teens had used chatbots for school-related tasks and 12% had used chatbots for emotional support and/or advice.
The rules also apply to big social media sites based in California. In 2025, Meta generated a total revenue of $200.97 billion, 22% higher than last year.
Australia and UK Take Broader Approaches - Australia and the UK take a broader approach to solutions.
The California social media laws for children are different from the national laws in Australia. Since 10 December 2025, Australia has obliged to implement measures to reasonably prevent the creation or retention of an account by an under-16 year-old on an age-restricted platform.
The UK intends to ban social media companies from providing services to those under 16 and the first measures will come into effect in spring 2027. The UK will also introduce default restrictions on personal feeds and autoplay for 16 and 17 year olds.
The California social media laws for children are focused on features of social media platforms as opposed to a general ban on social media accounts for minors.
AI chatbots are also covered by the California social media laws for children, due to their recent trend of usage by teenagers. With this legislation, the California social media laws for children now join a wider movement in the United States and around the world to place regulations on children's online access.
Source: Reuters
Pooja Malik is a business journalist with over six years of experience covering startups, entrepreneurship, and emerging trends. She has previously worked with leading media platforms such as YourStory Media and BW BusinessWorld, where she reported on business, policy, and market developments. Currently, she serves as Editor at The Inspirepreneur Magazine, where she writes and edits stories across business, lifestyle, and travel, with a focus on clarity, accuracy, and reader relevance.
