California Enacts Law Banning Addictive Social Media Features for Minors Under 16

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation prohibiting social media platforms from delivering addictive features—such as autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds—to users under 16. The law also mandates independent safety audits and annual risk assessments for AI companion chatbots accessible to minors. As a major regulatory action in the heart of the U.S. tech industry, this law sets a significant regulatory precedent that forces major tech companies to alter core algorithmic systems for younger users. It marks a shift toward legally enforced safety-by-design standards to protect children from digital addiction and potential AI harms. Beyond banning history-based recommendation algorithms and autoplay, the legislation expands protections against targeted advertising and regulates student data usage by AI systems. Platform operators offering AI companion chatbots must undergo third-party child safety audits to evaluate risks like manipulation and exploitation.