SACRAMENTO — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a broad package of legislation aimed at protecting children online and setting new limits on artificial intelligence. The laws introduce safeguards such as age verification, social media warning labels, protocols for AI chatbots and penalties for deepfake pornography.
Among the most significant new laws is Senate Bill 243 by Sen. Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), which creates the nation’s first safety requirements for “companion chatbots.” Under the law, chatbot platforms must detect signs of suicidal ideation, disclose when conversations are artificially generated, block sexually explicit content for minors and report how often crisis intervention tools are used to the state Department of Public Health.
Assembly Bill 1043 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) requires app stores and operating systems to verify users’ ages before granting access to apps or services. The law is designed to keep children from accessing inappropriate or harmful content online.
Assembly Bill 56 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda) mandates warning labels on social media platforms to alert users about the potential risks of addiction and mental health issues associated with extended use. Another measure, Assembly Bill 621, also by Bauer-Kahan, strengthens penalties for the distribution of sexually explicit deepfakes. The law allows victims, including minors, to seek civil damages of up to $250,000 per incident against anyone who knowingly helps spread nonconsensual material.
Assembly Bill 316 by Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento), closes a legal loophole that previously allowed companies to claim that artificial intelligence acted independently. The new law ensures that developers and users remain responsible for harm caused by their AI systems. Assembly Bill 853, authored by Wicks, establishes the California AI Transparency Act. It requires companies to disclose when artificial intelligence is used to assist in generating content or making decisions, creating statewide transparency standards for AI use.
Other measures in the package expand data privacy and cybersecurity protections, including Senate Bill 50, which adds device protection rules; Senate Bill 53, which regulates large AI model developers; Senate Bill 361, which expands data deletion rights for consumers; and Senate Bill 524, which requires law enforcement agencies to disclose when AI tools are used in report writing. Additional bills address opt-out preference signals, account cancellations, AI use in healthcare titles and cybersecurity integration.
For the full text of the bills, visit: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
The full list of the signed bills to protect children and strengthen the safety of technology and online platforms includes:
- AB 56 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). Social media: warning labels.
- AB 316 by Assemblymember Maggy Krell (D-Sacramento). Artificial intelligence: defenses.
- AB 489 by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland). Health care professions: deceptive terms or letters: artificial intelligence.*
- AB 566 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018: opt-out preference signal.*
- AB 621 by Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D-Orinda). Deepfake pornography.
- AB 656 by Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo (D-Santa Clarita). Account cancellation.*
- AB 772 by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-Long Beach). Cyberbullying: off-campus acts: model policy.*
- AB 853 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). California AI Transparency Act. A signing message can be found here.
- AB 979 by Assemblymember Jacquie Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks). California Cybersecurity Integration Center: artificial intelligence.*
- AB 1043 by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland). Age verification signals: software applications and online services.
- SB 50 by Senator Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento). Connected devices: device protection requests.
- SB 53 by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco). Artificial intelligence models: large developers.*
- SB 243 by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). Companion chatbots.
- SB 361 by Senator Josh Becker (DMenlo Park). Data brokers: data collection and deletion.*
- SB 446 by Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Bakersfield). Data breaches: customer notification.*
- SB 524 by Senator Jesse Arreguín (D-Berkeley). Law enforcement agencies: artificial intelligence.*
*previously signed
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