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Home News California Passes Law to Limit Children's Social Media Risks

California Enacts Law to Protect Children from Addictive Social Media

Sep 11, 2026
57 min
13
Sep 11, 2026 14:32
US governor signs law to limit children's social media risks

## New Legislation Targets Social Media Features

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a groundbreaking law aimed at reducing the risks of social media for children under 16. The legislation focuses on curbing "addictive" features such as infinite scrolling, algorithmic recommendations, and autoplay, which are considered "psychologically exploitative."

## Comparison with Australia's Approach

During the signing ceremony, Newsom highlighted that California's approach is more effective than Australia's, which implemented a full ban for users under 16. He emphasized that the new law addresses the core issues of social media design rather than just age restrictions.

## Meta's Compliance and Global Context

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has already agreed to adopt similar measures following a settlement with California and other states over children's privacy violations. Meanwhile, other tech giants like Snap, TikTok, and YouTube have not yet commented on the new law.

## Broader Regulatory Efforts

This law is part of a broader effort by regulators worldwide to mitigate social media's impact on young users. The European Union is also considering regulations, with proposals ranging from age-specific limits to broader bans for younger users.

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