Gov. Newsom Bans ‘Addictive’ Social Media Content for Minors, Prohibits Notifications During School Hours
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law aimed at protecting minors from “addictive” social media content. The legislation, referred to as the Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act, prohibits social media companies from knowingly providing an addictive feed to minors without parental consent. Additionally, it bans online platforms from sending notifications to minors during school hours and after midnight.
The law defines “addictive feed” as any content that is recommended or prioritized for users based on their personal information, and it requires platforms to report annually on the usage of minors and the number of users who have provided verifiable parental consent. Governor Newsom expressed concern over the harmful effects of social media addiction on children, including isolation and anxiety. The law follows similar actions taken by other states, such as Utah and Florida, which have implemented restrictions on social media access for minors.
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Friday a bill banning “addictive” social media content for minors.
The Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act prevents social media companies from “knowingly providing an addictive feed to a minor without parental consent,” according to a press release from the governor’s office.
The law also prohibits online platforms from issuing notifications to minors during school hours and after midnight.
“Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children – isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night,” Newsom said in a statement.
“With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits. I thank Senator Skinner for advancing this important legislation that puts children’s well-being first.”
The law defines “addictive feed” as content “recommended, selected, or prioritized for display to a user based on information provided by the user, or otherwise associated with the user or the user’s device.”
Online platforms are also required to annually report the number of minors using the platform and provide how many it has received verifiable parental consent from.
Many states have been taking action to protect minors from the potentially damaging effects of social media, with Utah paving the way in March of 2023 through a law banning minors from social media without parental consent.
Florida enacted similar legislation in March of 2024 which banned children under the age of 14 from social media platforms without parental consent.
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