In a move to protect minors, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a new legislative package on Thursday targeting social media and AI risks. The laws introduce heavy fines for tech negligence and mandate safety assessments for AI chatbots.
The $1 million penalty and the ban on addictive feeds
California's new legal framework imposes a heavy price on negligence, allowing for fines of up to $1 million for every child harmed by a platform's failure to protect them. According to the report , these measures aim to hold large technology firms accountable for the digital environments they curate for younger users.
A central pillar of this legislative package is a prohibition on "addictive feeds" for any user under the age of 16.. This provision specifically targets the engagement-driven algorithms that social media companies use to keep users scrolling, which lawmakers argue can expose children to harmful content through endless loops of engagement. Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, speaking at a children's museum near San Francisco, noted that while society designs safe cribs and car seats , technology has been handed to children without similar safety expectations.
Mandatory risk assessments and the new registry of AI auditors
Artificial intelligence safety is a primary focus of the new laws,which require companies to conduct thorough risk assessments before launching AI chatbots intended for children. These assessments must ensure that software cannot engage in sexual conversations or encourage self-harming behaviors. This follows a previous action by Governor Newsom, who signed a law requiring platforms to disclose when users are interacting with a chatbot.
To ensure these checks are legitimate, California is establishing a registry of independent AI auditors. As the report notes, these auditors must be financiallly separate from the tech companies they are reviewing to prevent conflicts of interest.. This move has garnered support from industry players like Anthropic, signaling a push for standardized safety protocols in the emerging AI sector.
An echo of Meta's $18 billion settlement
The timing of Newsom's signing ceremony follows a massive legal victory against Meta, which recently agreed to an $18 billion settlement over allegations of building addictive features. This recent history underscores the growing regulatory pressure on tech giants to prioritize user well-being over engagement metrics.
Meta has expressed significant concerns regarding the new mandates, specifically the ban on addictive feeds. Meta spokesperson Jim Cullinan argued that limiting these algorithms could hinder the company's ability to provide personalized and age-appropriate content to teenagers, suggesting that personalization is a key tool for relevance. This highlights the ongoing tension for Governor Newsom, who must balance California's status as a global tech hub with the urgent need for public safety.
Who will define "addictive" and how will auditors remain independent?
While the laws provide a framework, several critical questions remain regarding their enforcement and definitions. It is currently unclear how regulators will legally distinguish between a "personalized" feed and an "addictive" one, a distinction that Meta claims is vital for user experience. Without a precise legal definition, tech companies may find ways to bypass the spirit of the law while technically adhering to its letter.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of the new registry of independent AI auditors depends on the rigor of their financial separation. There is no clear mechanism yet described for how the state will monitor these auditors to ensure they do not succumb to corporate influence, leaving a potential loophole in the safety framework. Additionally, the source does not clarify how the state intends to collect and verify the $1 million per-child fines in cases of negligence.
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