CA legislature passes bill on addictive social media for younger kids. It has Long Beach origins

This story first appeared on Long Beach Post.

Long Beach may soon be leading the charge to regulate social media. A watershed bill proposed by the city’s state assemblymember is expected to soon become law in California, prohibiting social media platforms from providing addictive features to kids under age 16.

The California legislature on Monday unanimously passed the bill, which will now head to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has previously expressed support. “I’m very optimistic that this bill will get signed into law,” said Democratic Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, the bill’s author.

If passed, the legislation would go into effect in January 2027 and prohibit young users from accessing social media platforms that include addictive features — including infinite scroll, autoplay, algorithms and notifications — and authorize the state attorney general to implement and enforce the restrictions. It represents a massive step for the nation’s most populous state, which has led the charge on tech policy, experts say, and where concerns about the harms of youth screen time have mounted.

The ban would apply to social platforms heavily used by young people, including Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube. Platforms can become “good actors” and continue offering services to young people if they remove addictive features, Lowenthal said.

Yet because these and other platforms continue to evolve, the bill establishes an independent advisory commission to continue monitoring platforms and the features they offer to children.

Age-gating has raised privacy concerns because it could require the collection of sensitive information that may lead to the loss of anonymity on the internet, yet Lowenthal said the bill would leverage existing law that allows for verification on the device level, meaning in most cases, users won’t have to present government-issued identification.

The bill has also elicited fears about infringement on First Amendment rights, given that young people are constitutionally entitled to speak and access speech on social media. But Lowenthal said “this is a public health crisis” that must take precedence. That priority is bolstered by the American Academy of Pediatrics’ support of the bill, he said.

“Young people are allowed to ride bicycles and skateboards just like adults, but they’re required to wear helmets because of the unique developmental concerns,” he said. “This is no different.”

Previous court rulings in New Mexico and Los Angeles, as well as a recent settlement that required Meta to pay $17.1 billion, were a start but don’t go far enough, Lowenthal said. State Attorney General Rob Bonta, who co-led the case against Meta, referred to the settlement as “a floor conceptually, not a ceiling,” CNBC reported.

Lowenthal aims to go further, and his bill has elicited widespread bipartisan support, which he attributed to leading as parents before policymakers.

Since the bill was first introduced, Lowenthal said he’s observed a sea change throughout California, the country and world. “Families want relief” from the platforms that many children report using for nearly five hours a day, he said. “They’re unwilling to tolerate the status quo, and AB 1709 gets to the heart of the matter.”