SACRAMENTO, Calif.-- California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a bill Democratic Gov.Gavin Newsom will sign, his office said Friday.California will follow New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform’s algorithm.
Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children’s access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.“Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement.“With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits.”The bill bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m.and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m.
and 3 p.m.on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school.The legislation also makes platforms set children’s accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their age.Some argue it would threaten online privacy by making platforms collect more information on users.The subject garnered renewed attention in June when U.S.Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their impacts on young people.
Attorneys general in 42 states endorsed the plan in a letter sent to Congress last week.___Associated Press writer Trân Nguyễn contributed to this report.___Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna
