California Bans AI Companion Toys and Addictive Social Media for Under 16s in First State Law
Regulation21d agoGovernor Gavin Newsom signed legislation targeting tech companies to protect children from manipulative social media design and AI-integrated hardware. The rules prohibit social media platforms from offering behaviorally addictive features to users under 16 and ban the sale of toys containing AI companion chatbots. These restrictions apply to all relevant tech entities and manufacturers operating within California.
The social media prohibition marks the first legislation of its kind in the United States to target addictive design. Certain provisions of the online child safety bills received support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. The laws focus on removing behaviorally addictive components and restricting AI-integrated products to limit daily dependency in minors.
Key sources
- SOURCE@nbcnews“barring children under 16 from exposure to behaviorally addictive features on social media platforms and banning toys containing AI companion chatbots”x.com
- SUPPORT@kalshi“California bans social media addictive features for kids under 16 and bans 'AI companion chatbot toys'”x.com
- SOURCE@politico“Newsom signs online kid safety laws, including rules backed by Sam Altman”x.com
- SUPPORT@polltracker2024“prohibited social media platforms from providing addictive features to users under 16, the first law of its kind in the nation”x.com