Golden State Today

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 976, a bill authored by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), aimed at protecting minors from social media addiction. The legislation prohibits online platforms from providing an addictive feed to minors without parental consent and restricts social media notifications during school hours and late at night.

Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of this measure, stating, “Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children – isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night. With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits. I thank Senator Skinner for advancing this important legislation that puts children’s well-being first.”

First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom expressed her support: “As a mother, I’m proud of California’s continued leadership in holding technology companies accountable for their products and ensuring those products are not harmful to children. Thank you to the Governor and Senator Skinner for taking a critical step in protecting children and ensuring their safety is prioritized over companies’ profits.”

This action builds on bipartisan legislation enacted in 2022 that requires online platforms to consider the best interest of child users and default to privacy and safety settings that protect children's mental and physical health. The state continues to defend the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act against legal challenges.

Additionally, Governor Newsom announced the signing of several other bills:

- AB 224 by Assemblymember Blanca Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) addresses worker status concerning newspaper distributors.

- AB 551 by Assemblymember Steve Bennett (D-Ventura) pertains to the Public Utilities Commission.

- AB 1465 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) concerns nonvehicular air pollution penalties.

- Other signed bills cover topics ranging from earthquake authority meetings to instructional materials on historical court cases.

The Governor also vetoed several bills including:

- AB 52 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson (D-Concord), which proposed an income tax credit for sales taxes paid on manufacturing equipment.

- AB 366 by Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine), focused on workforce development within county human services agencies.

For detailed information about each bill's text, visit http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.