California Lawmakers Pass Under-16 Social Media Ban as Meta Settles Teen Harm Case for $18 Billion
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 1
California Lawmakers Pass Under-16 Social Media Ban as Meta Settles Teen Harm Case for $18 Billion
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 1
Summary
California legislators approved a bill late Monday that would bar social media platforms from offering users under 16 features deemed addictive, sending the measure to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The bill targets auto-playing videos and algorithmically curated feeds, and goes further than similar state laws by not letting parents opt children into those features.
Josh Lowenthal, the Democratic assembly member leading the measure, called it a bipartisan response to a public health crisis; Newsom's office declined comment on the pending bill, though he has backed teen-use limits.
The vote came a week after Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle California-led claims that its platforms harmed teens, and the broader law is now expected to face First Amendment challenges.