California Launches Teen Tech Council to Shape AI and Digital Safety Policy
The state is embedding youth advisors into its technology policy infrastructure to influence laws on AI and online wellness.
Governor Gavin Newsom, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and the nonprofit #HalfTheStory launched California's first Teen Tech Council on August 11, 2026. The initiative marks a shift in how the state approaches youth and technology, moving from a model of protection to one of active contribution.
The council is embedded within the California Innovation Council, a 30-member body established in December 2025 that includes experts from the Mozilla Foundation, UC Berkeley, and Stanford. By integrating teenagers directly into this existing policy infrastructure, the state aims to empower youth as contributors to decisions regarding online safety, digital wellness, and artificial intelligence. First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom stated that instead of viewing young people only as users to be protected, the state should empower them as contributors to the future of technology.
A Growing Regulatory Framework
This launch arrives as California aggressively expands its regulatory oversight of the digital landscape. On January 1, 2026, the Transparency in Frontier AI Act (SB 53) took effect, increasing oversight of powerful AI systems. Simultaneously, the state is addressing the physical presence of technology in classrooms through the Phone-Free School Act (AB 3216), which requires school districts to adopt restrictive phone policies by July 1, 2026, ahead of the 2026-27 school year.
These measures reflect a broader state effort to mitigate the risks of emerging tech. By adding a youth voice to the California Innovation Council, the state is attempting to balance top-down regulation with the lived experiences of the primary users of these platforms.
The Blueprint for Responsible Innovation
California is the second state to adopt this specific advisory model. In 2025, #HalfTheStory launched a similar council in New York in collaboration with Secretary Hillary Clinton and Governor Kathy Hochul. According to official data, the New York Teen Tech Council reached more than 17,000 students during the previous school year, providing a proof-of-concept for the California rollout.
Integrating youth into an official state policy body rather than a standalone, symbolic commission creates a structural mechanism for teenagers to influence the laws that govern their digital lives. Larz May, Founder and Executive Director of #HalfTheStory, noted that his vision is to ensure teens help shape their future during this turning point in humanity and AI, rather than simply inheriting the results.
What to Watch
As the council begins its work, observers will be watching how much actual influence these youth advisors exert over the California Innovation Council's recommendations to the Governor. The success of the program will likely be measured by whether the council's input leads to tangible amendments in AI safety guidelines or digital wellness legislation. If successful, this model could serve as a national blueprint for other states seeking to implement "responsible innovation" by bridging the gap between policymakers and the generation most affected by technological disruption.