SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a sweeping package of laws Thursday aimed at protecting children from the risks of technology, including social media and AI chatbots.
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, ban tech businesses from offering addictive feeds to anyone under 16, require operators of AI chatbots to perform risk assessments before rolling them out and allow families to opt out of receiving school-issued laptops.
kAm}6HD@> ;@:?65 9:D H:76 2?5 DE2E6 =2H>2<6CD 2E 2 49:=5C6?VD >FD6F> ?62C $2? uC2?4:D4@ E@ DEC6DD E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 AC@E64E:?8 <:5D 2E 2 E:>6 H96? E96J 92G6 DF49 62DJ 2446DD E@ D@4:2= >65:2 2?5 px 492E3@ED]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 56D:8?65 4C:3D E@ 36 D276[ 492:CD E@ 36 D276[ 42C D62ED[” pDD6>3=J>6>36C #636442 q2F6C\z292? D2:5] “*6E H6VG6 2==@H65 E649?@=@8J E@ 36 92?565 E@ @FC 49:=5C6? 2?5 ?6G6C 2D<65 @C 6IA64E65 :E E@ 36 D276]”k^Am
kAm|6E2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>6E2\EC:2=\:?DE28C2>\D6EE=6>6?E\hf5bca7a2bb5gbd652abde4d6`27h6bfQmC624965 2 D6EE=6>6?Ek^2m H:E9 r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 ag @E96C DE2E6D =2DE >@?E9 27E6C E96J 2==6865 😕 2 a_ab =2HDF:E E92E E96 E649 8:2?E 56=:36C2E6=J 56D:8?65 762EFC6D E@ 255:4E 49:=5C6?] %96 4@>A2?J 28C665 E@ A2J FA E@ S`g 3:==:@? 2?5 DEC6?8E96? :ED 49:=5 D276EJ >62DFC6D]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmtsx%~#’$ }~%ti %9:D DE@CJ :?4=F56D 5:D4FDD:@? @7 DF:4:56] x7 J@F @C D@>6@?6 J@F @H ?665D 96=A[ E96 ?2E:@?2= DF:4:56 2?5 4C:D:D =:76=:?6 😕 E96 &]$] 😀 2G2:=23=6 3J 42==:?8 @C E6IE:?8 hgg]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAm~E96C DE2E6D 92G6 2=D@ AFD965 😕 C646?E J62CD 7@C 36EE6C 8F2C5C2:=D E@ AC@E64E 49:=5C6? 7C@> E96 A@E6?E:2= 92C>D @7 D@4:2= >65:2]k^Am
kAm%H@ J62CD 28@[ }6H *@C< DE2E6 2AAC@G65 2 =2H 2==@H:?8 A2C6?ED E@ 3=@4< E96:C 49:=5C6? 7C@> 86EE:?8 D@4:2= >65:2 A@DED DF886DE65 3J 2 A=2E7@C>’D 2=8@C:E9>[ 2 >@G6 E@ =:>:E 7665D E92E 4C:E:4D 2C8F6 2C6 255:4E:G6] %96 A@=:4J 😀 D4965F=65 E@ 8@ :?E@ 67764E 62C=J ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAm}6HD@> D2:5 E96 ?6H r2=:7@C?:2 =2HD 9:89=:89E E96 DE2E6VD =6256CD9:A @? E96 :DDF6]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 2 8@@5 52J 7@C @FC 49:=5C6?[” 96 D2:5] “xE’D 2 8@@5 52J 7@C E96 DE2E6 @7 r2=:7@C?:2]”k^Am
kAmy:> $E6J6C[ E96 7@F?56C @7 r@>>@? $6?D6 |65:2[ H9@D6 3C@E96C[ %@> $E6J6C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42=:7@C?:2\8@G6C?@C\E@>\DE6J6C\3:==:@?2:C6\25G6CE:D:?8\65__3g7c67c7472b3b_34ggec2fgfb33QmC2? 7@C 8@G6C?@Ck^2m[ D2:5 E96 =2HD H6C6 “E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E[ 4@>AC696?D:G6 =68:D=2E:@?Q @? E96 DF3;64E 😕 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 &]$]k^Am
kAmqFE |6E2 C2:D65 4@?46C?D 23@FE D@>6 @7 E96 3:==D[ D2J:?8 E96 =2H E@ C6DEC:4E 255:4E:G6 7665D 9:?56CD E96 4@>A2?JVD 23:=:EJ E@ 3C:?8 6?;@J23=6 4@?E6?E E@ FD6CD @? :ED A=2E7@C>D]k^Am
kAm“(6 36=:6G6 E92E 56=:G6C:?8 2 E2:=@C65 6IA6C:6?46 😀 2? :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 H92E >2<6D u2463@@< 2?5 x?DE28C2> G2=F23=6 7@C E66?D 2D E96J 4@??64E H:E9 72>:=J 2?5 7C:6?5D 2?5 6IA=@C6 E96:C :?E6C6DED — D276=J[” DA@<6DA6CD@? y:> rF==:?2? D2:5 😕 2 DE2E6>6?E] “!6CD@?2=:K2E:@? 😀 2=D@ 9@H H6 56=:G6C 286\2AAC@AC:2E6 4@?E6?E 7@C E66?D E92E 😀 C6=6G2?E E@ E96> — 2== H:E9 E96 AC@A6C 8F2C5C2:=D 😕 A=246]”k^Am
kAm}6HD@> 92D H2=<65 2 7:?6 =:?6 @? E649?@=@8J A@=:4J 5FC:?8 9:D ?62C=J 6:89E J62CD D6CG:?8 2D 8@G6C?@C 😕 E96 ?2E:@?VD >@DE A@AF=@FD DE2E6[ H9@D6 DE2EFD 2D 2 8=@32= E649 9F3 96 92D C6A62E65=J E@FE65 😕 DA66496D]k^Am
kAmw6 D:8?65 2 =2H =2DE J62C C6BF:C:?8 A=2E7@C>D E@ C6>:?5 FD6CD E96J 2C6 :?E6C24E:?8 H:E9 2 492E3@E 2?5 ?@E 2 9F>2?] w@FCD =2E6C[ 96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42=:7@C?:2\492E3@ED\49:=5C6?\D276EJ\2:\?6HD@>\bb36c5df5_6a5`cddb6_a2hc5hdahhfeQmG6E@65 2 3:==k^2m E92E H@F=5 92G6 32??65 4@>A2?:6D 7C@> >2<:?8 px 492E3@ED 2G2:=23=6 E@ 2?J@?6 F?56C `g J62CD @=5 F?=6DD E96 3FD:?6DD6D 4@F=5 6?DFC6 E96 E649?@=@8J 4@F=5?’E 6?8286 😕 D6IF2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?D @C 6?4@FC286 D6=7\92C>]k^Am
kAm}6HD@> 2=D@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^42=:7@C?:2\?6HD@>\DEF56?E\46==A9@?6\32?\D49@@=D\2g3eac7_2h746c623c6haf2hgdagdgf`QmD:8?65 2 =2H 😕 a_ack^2m E@ C6DEC:4E DEF56?E FD6 @7 D>2CEA9@?6D 😕 D49@@=D]k^Am
kAm|2C:2 #2:?6[ 2 >@E96C H9@D6 E66?286 D@?[ p52>[ 5:65 3J DF:4:56 =2DE J62C[ D2:5 96 5:65 3642FD6 96 H2D “4@24965” 3J 2 492E3@E] ~?6 @7 E96 =2HD }6HD@> D:8?65[ H9:49 C6BF:C6D 492E3@E @A6C2E@CD E@ :>A=6>6?E 46CE2:? D276EJ >62DFC6D E@ AC@E64E 49:=5C6?[ H2D :?DA:C65 3J p52>VD DE@CJ]k^Am
kAm“p52> H2D 2? 62C=J 25@AE6C @7 px[ 2?5 D@ >2?J @7 FD A2C6?ED 5:5 ?@E F?56CDE2?5 E96 52?86CD 324< E96?[” #2:?6 D2:5 2E 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46] “}@H[ H6 2C6 2== 364@>:?8 >@C6 2H2C6 @7 E96 52?86CD @7 px 4@>A2?:@?D9:A 2?5 E96 ?665 7@C @FC 8@G6C?>6?E E@ 24E E@ AC@E64E @FC 49:=5C6?]”k^Am
kAm}6HD@> 2=D@ D:8?65 =2HD (65?6D52J[ H9:49 2C6 DFAA@CE65 3J p?E9C@A:4[ E92E 2C6 2:>65 2E :>AC@G:?8 @G6CD:89E @7 px 4@>A2?:6D] ~?6 @7 E96 >62DFC6D C6BF:C6D E96 DE2E6 E@ 4C62E6 CF=6D 7@C :?56A6?56?E @C82?:K2E:@?D E@ 6G2=F2E6 E96 D276EJ C:D
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
