California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed 13 bills aimed at protecting children online. One law limits how long minors may talk to chatbots. It requires built-in mental health resources and safety plans for chatbot operators. Operators must alert parents if a chatbot detects a risk of self-harm, and can be held liable for failing to act. The law is named after Adam Raine, a California teen who died by suicide in 2025 after receiving tips from ChatGPT. OpenAI backed the measure, saying it pairs protections with continued access. A second law forces social media firms to drop infinite scroll and autoplay for under-16s or bar them entirely. The Electronic Frontier Foundation asked for a veto, calling the definition of addictive features too broad. Other bills add age checks, platform liability for child harm, and a four-year moratorium on AI chatbot toys for under-16s.
What changed
California only required chatbots to tell users they were not human.
- 13 bills signed
- applies to users under 16
- four-year ban on AI chatbot toys
- $17bn Meta settlement
What you need to act on it
- operating a chatbot or social platform used by California minors
Sources