California Bans Addictive Social Media Design and AI Toys for Minors

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a package of landmark child safety laws on September 10, 2026, aimed at curbing the influence of social media and AI on minors. The bipartisan legislation establishes some of the strictest protections in the U.S., specifically targeting the psychological mechanisms used to keep children engaged online.

The new laws prohibit social media platforms from offering "behaviorally addictive" features to children under the age of 16. According to the Governor's office and NBC News, these restricted features include infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic feeds that are tailored based on a user's history. Additionally, the state has implemented rigorous safety requirements for AI companion chatbots, including a specific ban under SB 867 on the manufacture and sale of toys that incorporate these AI companions.

The Regulatory Battleground

California has long served as the primary testing ground for tech regulation in the United States, having previously passed significant legislation regarding deepfakes and data privacy. This latest move aligns with a broader national trend where states, such as Utah, have attempted to restrict minor access to social media to address escalating mental health crises and digital addiction. However, while other states have focused on age-gating and parental consent, California is focusing on the actual architecture of the software.

Shifting the Legal Focus

Because California represents the largest state economy in the U.S., its regulatory decisions often carry global weight. Tech companies frequently alter their global product designs to maintain a single codebase rather than managing a fragmented set of regional versions. By targeting the "addictive" nature of the design rather than simply restricting access, California is shifting the legal conversation from who can use a platform to how those platforms are psychologically engineered to influence young users.

Future Implications

Industry observers are now watching to see how social media giants will implement these changes for users under 16 without compromising the core functionality of their apps. While the laws are now signed, the specific enforcement mechanisms and the definition of what constitutes a "behaviorally addictive" feature in evolving AI interfaces remain key points of interest for legal experts and tech developers alike.