California Senate Weighs Bill to Restrict Addictive Features for Users Under 16

Assembly Bill 1709 would require platforms to provide a version for users younger than 16 that omits personalized feeds and autoplay videos. The measure also creates an e-safety advisory commission to guide the attorney general in enforcement. The bill moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a vote this week and enjoys bipartisan support.

Sacramento Bee

California is not the first jurisdiction to act. Australia enacted a national ban on children under 16 accessing social media last year, a model Lowenthal cited when drafting the original proposal. Across the United States, Republican and Democratic legislators have introduced a patchwork of bans, account-age restrictions, and feature-limiting requirements. The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls initially backed a stricter ban but now opposes the amended bill, fearing it could allow platforms to market “safe” versions without real accountability.

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• Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the bill’s author, argues the approach is a “right amount of regulation” that protects children while leaving platforms viable. “I see this as being just the right amount of regulation, where consumers and kids are not shut off and the platforms have a very clear path to being compliant,” — Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, its author

Sacramento Bee

• Darcy Totten, executive director of the Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, warns the amendments could let companies advertise their products as safe for kids, potentially worsening the problem. “With these amendments, the concern for the commission is that the bill would open the door for these platforms to advertise their product as safe for kids or free of addictive features,” — Darcy Totten, the commission’s executive director

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• Amy Bos, government-affairs director for NetChoice—a trade group representing Google, TikTok and Meta—contends the bill infringes on parental choice and raises First-Amendment concerns.

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• Dr. Jason Nagata, pediatrics professor at UCSF, notes that heavy social-media use is linked to health and developmental issues and calls for careful evaluation of any policy’s real-world effects.

Sacramento Bee

More than 30 states have already sued Meta in federal court, alleging intentional design choices that maximize youth engagement. If AB 1709 passes and is signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, California could join those states in further litigation against major platforms. A Pew Research Center survey released last month found a majority of Americans support banning anyone under 16 from social-media sites, suggesting broad public backing for stricter regulation.

Sacramento Bee

• “I see this as being just the right amount of regulation, where consumers and kids are not shut off and the platforms have a very clear path to being compliant,” — Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, its author

Sacramento Bee

• “With these amendments, the concern for the commission is that the bill would open the door for these platforms to advertise their product as safe for kids or free of addictive features,” — Darcy Totten, the commission’s executive director

Sacramento Bee