Archive · 11 Sep 2026
California Enacts Sweeping Technology Curbs to Protect Children
California has passed a group of laws about how technology companies treat children.
One law stops social-media companies from showing certain addictive features to children younger than 16.
These features include endless scrolling and videos that play automatically.
Another law treats computer-made or digitally changed sexual images of children as child sexual-abuse material.
California will also temporarily ban toys that contain AI companion chatbots.
Other rules require safety checks and parental controls for chatbot programs.
Governor Gavin Newsom said technology should help children instead of taking advantage of their weaknesses.
Supporters say the laws can protect children, but critics worry they could limit privacy and free speech.
The rules are part of a wider effort in the United States and other countries to regulate technology used by young people.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills targeting technology risks to young people.
Assembly Bill 1709 bars children under 16 from behaviorally addictive social-media features such as infinite scrolling and algorithmic autoplay.
A separate law expands criminal sanctions for child sexual-abuse material to include digitally altered or AI-generated sexual images of minors.
California will prohibit the manufacture and sale of toys containing companion chatbots for four years and require chatbot safety measures.
Supporters cite child safety, while critics including the Electronic Frontier Foundation warn of privacy and free-speech risks.
- Who
- California Governor Gavin Newsom signed 13 technology-related bills, affecting social-media and chatbot companies and young people.
- What
- California enacted restrictions on addictive social-media features, AI-generated child sexual-abuse material, and companion-chatbot toys.
- When
- The measures were signed on Thursday, September 10; the article does not specify the year of enactment.
- Where
- California, United States.
- Why
- The package was designed to protect young people from technology seen as threatening their safety, privacy, and mental health.
Supporters
Critics
Protecting children online
Supporters
Supporters, including Governor Gavin Newsom, say the laws are needed to prevent technology from exploiting children’s vulnerabilities and harming their well-being.
Critics
Critics argue the restrictions are unnecessary limits on young people’s access to the internet.
Social-media design
Supporters
Supporters say features designed to maximize engagement, including infinite scrolling and algorithmic autoplay, can lead to compulsive use and should be restricted for children under 16.
Critics
Critics, including the Electronic Frontier Foundation, warn that the restrictions could create serious privacy and free-speech problems.
AI chatbot safeguards
Supporters
Supporters favor banning companion-chatbot toys temporarily and requiring parental controls and safety assessments for chatbot programs.
Critics
The articles do not identify a specific opposing argument to the chatbot-toy ban, but they report broader criticism that the package could impose unnecessary technology restrictions.
- Number of bills
- 13 measures were enacted as part of the technology-safety package.
- Social-media age threshold
- Assembly Bill 1709 applies to children under 16.
- Targeted features
- The law covers features such as infinite-scroll feeds and algorithmic autoplay, along with others to be defined by regulations.
- Chatbot-toy ban
- California prohibits the manufacture and sale of toys incorporating companion chatbots for four years.
- AI-generated abuse material
- The criminal-sanctions measure includes digitally altered or AI-generated content depicting a person under 18 engaged in sexual conduct.
- Parental safeguards
- A related measure requires parental controls and additional safety and risk assessments for chatbot programs.
- Criticism
- The Electronic Frontier Foundation called the social-media measure a “massive privacy and free speech nightmare.”