Newsom Signs Laws to Regulate Social Media and AI for Children's Protection
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed new legislation aimed at protecting children from unregulated technology. The laws target social media companies, prohibiting them from providing addictive features to minors under 16. This includes features like autoplay and infinite scroll.
The legislation also expands the definition of child sexual exploitation to include AI-generated or digitally altered content featuring children under 18 in explicit acts. Additionally, it requires social media platforms to implement crisis guidelines for suicidal tendencies and parental controls.
Meta Platforms Inc. and YouTube, owned by Alphabet Inc., did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The new laws also impose a four-year ban on the sale of AI chatbot-powered toys for children, as reported by Reuters.