California Democrats pass more than 20 bills to curtail AI and social media

Gov. Gavin Newsom, widely seen as a 2028 presidential hopeful, has until the end of the month to decide which ones to sign into law.

California’s Democratic-controlled Legislature passed a torrent of bills as its session came to a close Monday night, including more than two dozen measures that would restrict various uses of AI and curtail how social media companies’ products can be used by minors.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of the month to decide which ones to sign into law, moves that could signal his approach to a series of hot-button issues in a potential 2028 presidential campaign.

Many of the 26 bills related to AI and social media that California’s Democrats passed during the final week of their legislative session further seek to curtail some of the features tech companies offer that experts warn are addictive, while others would explicitly pull back the use of AI in various facets of everyday life.

One bill passed would ban social media companies from providing “addictive features” — including autoplaying videos — to users under 16 years old, while another would tighten the state’s existing restrictions on chatbots for use by minors by implementing landmark age verification requirements and rules related to what ads minors can see. That bill, as well as another measure, would also make social media platforms and AI chatbots liable for financial damages if they don’t take measures to protect children from harm.

Experts have said those bills could help create the most robust framework in the country designed to protect minors using AI chatbots and social media.