California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs bills restricting "addictive" social media features for under-16s and limiting minors' interactions with chatbots (Colin Lecher/CalMatters)

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a series of new tech regulations, including provisions that could effectively ban social media for children under 16. The state joins national governments like Australia in taking a stance against young users accessing social media platforms. The highly anticipated child online safety legislation, including bills AB 1709 and AB 2, aims to strengthen existing child safety laws.

These bills place restrictions on harmful features like personalized feeds and video autoplay, as well as hold platforms financially liable for child harm. Child safety advocates and parents have welcomed the legislation, with some families behind it citing the tragic loss of their children to suicide following extensive social media use.

The legislation also expands the state's definition of child sexual exploitation to include AI-generated or digitally altered content depicting individuals under 18 engaged in sexual conduct.