Between infinite social media feeds, constant phone pings and conversational AI chatbots, staying focused in class has never been harder. To tackle the digital distraction epidemic, California is rolling out a massive wave of nation-leading laws to reshape how young people interact with technology both in and out of the classroom.
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom signed bipartisan legislation establishing the country’s strictest guardrails on AI companion chatbots, social media platforms and classroom hardware. The new law targeted AI chatbot comes after reports that some AI chatbots are fuelling psychosis in users.
Classroom hardware and data protections
While California has pushed to limit smartphone use during school hours, this new legislative package takes aim at classroom tech and student privacy.
Parents now have the right to opt out of receiving school-issued laptops for their children. Another interesting thing to note is that the legislation also creates strict privacy requirements that restrict how K-12 student data can be used inside AI systems, while banning targeted advertising directed at young users.
As technology evolves, state leaders are ensuring schools don’t become experimental testing grounds for unvetted software.
Target: “Addictive by design” features
The headline social media measure, AB 1709, targets the underlying engineering designed to keep teenagers hooked on their phones.
Under the new law, social media platforms are strictly banned from offering addictive features to users under 16. That means tech companies can no longer provide minors with infinite scrolling feeds, autoplay videos and algorithmic feeds driven by user profile data and watch history.
“This is about actually addressing the problem, the scrolling, the algorithms,” Newsom said at a news conference in front of the Golden Gate Bridge. “This is about addressing the substantive issue around the engineering.”
Platforms that violate these rules and end up harming children face stiff financial penalties. The fines for defaulting companies can go up to $1 million per child.
Strict new guardrails for companion AI
California also enacted “Adam’s Law,” creating the strongest companion chatbot regulations in the nation. Named after Adam Raine, a teen who died by suicide after his mother stated he was “coached” by an AI, the law introduces critical safety hurdles for AI developers.
Chatbot platforms aimed at youth must now:
- Conduct independent child safety audits and annual risk assessments prior to rollout.
- Implement crisis protocols specifically tailored for suicidal ideation.
- Provide robust parental controls and trigger automated alerts if a child disables safety settings.
The debate over digital access
The sweeping package isn’t without its detractors. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) raised strong objections, arguing that AB 1709 is more like a “functional ban on social media use” for teens under 16.
“Denying minors access to digital forums or stripping out basic tools needed to navigate them is not going to help make young people safer or healthier in the AI age,” warned Rindala Alajaji, EFF associate director of state affairs.
Despite those concerns, California’s package expands child exploitation statutes to cover AI-generated or digitally altered explicit imagery of minors. As dozens of countries evaluate similar bans, California has taken a huge step in ensuring child safety is built directly into technology from day one.
Sources: The Guardian, Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office