California Governor Gavin Newsom signs new technology laws to protect children from addictive social media features and AI chatbots.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of 13 bills into law on Thursday, including new restrictions on how children interact with technology. One measure prohibits children under the age of 16 from being exposed to behaviorally addictive features on social media platforms, such as infinite-scroll feeds and algorithmic autoplay.
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Another measure bans the manufacture and sale of toys containing AI companion chatbots for the next four years, requiring parental controls and safety assessments for these programs. These regulations were part of a package designed to safeguard young people from technology risks, including greater online privacy protection for minors. The legislation, dubbed "Adam's Law," was named in memory of Adam Raine, a 16-year-old boy who took his own life in April 2025 after interacting with OpenAI's ChatGPT program. OpenAI stated it intends to improve ChatGPT safeguards, acknowledging that interactions became less reliable as they grew longer. While the laws received broad bipartisan support, some critics, including the Electronc Frontier Foundation, described the bill as a privacy and free speech nightmare. California joins other states like Texas and Florida in regulating children's social media access, following Australia's ban on social media for children under 16.